Reign Of Shadow's & Chaos, book 9
by Guardian of the Isis Light
Summary: Nanette also known as Delenn 3 is now the captain of the Invincible. Crewed with inmates & hybrids, Nanette must find her way to the Shadow's Homeworld before the Liberator's are free. Origins of the Prophecy of Delenn & truth about the Shadows discovered
1. Shadow's Of X’ha’dum

_How to understand this book...The Reign Of Shadow's & Chaos is the NINTH BOOK in my Babylon 5 stories. The Reign of Shadow's & Chaos is a journal form book and writen with the understanding that the reader knows all Babylon 5 characters, and have read the other books to my series. _

_If you have not, don't worry, the plot is easy to follow in this book and holds many answers to the next book: Reign Of Rulers._

_HOW TO READ THIS SERIES: Begin with either " Book 5 Untold Stories, The Aqua Ancients" or " Book 6 Eclipse Of Time ". Next, advance to the Drakh wars under the story title called " Book 7 Deadly Contact". After "Deadly Contact", the story flows dirrectly into " Book 8 Final Fall Series" which covers the fall of the Shadow's and Vorlon's and the beginning of the Hybrid Project. After reading "Final Fall", your ready for " Book 9 Reign Of Shadow's & Chaos". The last book deals with the end times, called " Book 10 Reign of Rulers". To get a better understanding of this universe, you may want to check out the other characters at my Medical Stories called "Cystic Fibrosis Book 1 Cystic Fibrosis, Book 2 Cystic Fibrosis #2, Book 3 Cystic Fibrosis TR & Book 4 Cystic Fibrosis TR #2)"._

_**ENJOY...AND PLEASE BE KIND AND REVIEW...YOUR INPUT IS IMPORTANT!**_

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**REIGN OF SHADOW'S AND CHAOS**

**BOOK 9**

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****Table on Contents**

**Chapter One** Shadow's of X'ha'dum

**Chapter Two** The Shadow's Of X'ha'dum Part 2

**Chapter Three** Shadow's Of Sigma 957

**Chapter Four** Shadow's Of Thirdspace

**Chapter Five** Shadow's Of Distance Stars

**Chapter Six** Shadow's Of A Distant Past

**Chapter Seven** Shadow's Liberated In The Past

**Chapter Eight** Shadow's Of Epsilon 3

**Chapter Nine** Shadow's Against Light

**Chapter Ten** Shadow's Of The Abyssal

**Chapter Eleven** The Fall Of The Shadow's

**Chapter Twelve** Shadowing

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**CHAPTER ONE: Shadows of X'ha'dum**

In the years to come many forces created chaos in the known universe because of stupid reasons like the Dilgar who wanted to be immortal, the Shadow's and Vorlon's that were afraid of being alone. The Drakh, who wanted to be masters like the Shadow's. The Hand who thought no one else deserved to live, but a force would rise that was more divine to beat a race older then the Shadow's, the have no name like the their children and have no home world in known space. They would arise from the ashes and begin their deadly rage like they did in the first Great War in 1261. This is their story…

Aboard the Invincible, the Captain of the ship checks over his instruments. As Nanette, the first officer of the Invincible looks at the Captain, she awaits confirmation to jump back into regular space. "Captain?"

"Yes Nanette?"

"We are ready to jump back into regular space."

The Captain looks at the window, jumping in and out of hyperspace always makes him cautious. "All right, tell navigation to jump."

Nanette nods her head. "Yes captain." The first officer tells navigation to jump into regular space. "We have jumped, we will be docking at Altavice in two hours, as first officer I prescribe sleep, you need to be alert when we arrive at Altavice."

The Captain looks at Nanette, who he admires as a strong will individual. "Nanette!"

"I mean it, if we are shipped out again you'll wish you'd had taken my warning, now get some sleep I will wake you in ten minutes before docking!"

The Captain looks at the crew, but finds no support, no one likes to go against Nanette. "Well—all right."

The captain gets up and leaves the bridge; Nanette leaves two minutes after the captain to go to her room to convey her message. Nanette enters her dark room and the sound of rushing air passes her. As she stands in the middle of her room waiting, the shadows move and two figures glide into the twilight, they are creatures that have passes beyond the rim but have returned to guide the nine, the first one is brown with wing like projectiles on its back. Its eyepiece is green and it wears an assortment of robes that cascade to the floor from its head, its headpiece is triangular and is surrounded by tubes that must support its oxygen intake. The others are blue with a red eye. It to has robes flowing from its head but its main color is purple. It has two major spikes on its back. As Nanette watches then more movement caught her attention, two unknown creatures stand before her now, the first one looks aquatic and it is hard if the appearance is an encounter suit.

Nanette has seen pictures of the legionary Vorlon's, like Kosh Nanarke, and Ulkesh Kosh, but as she kept her focus on the aquatic creature she could she it better, it was about six feet tall with a bluish green scale looking cloth covering the encounter suit to its head. The head had a scales running down the sides of its neck to the back and front forming a shield in scales. There were what appeared to be also fins. The other creature looked more purplish black that shifted with light, it was quieter then the aqua creature, but inside Nanette's brain she could hear these high pitch screeches or what sounded like screeches was truly a sound never heard and never wanted to ever be heard! As Nanette searched the creature and found it hard to watch a figure that shifts with the darkness leaving shadows of its formal figure to tease the inner mind.

Its body or what seemed to be its body is covered with spikes and purplish black armor, unlike the aquatic creature, this shadowy creature had two arms with the length of about two feet. The arms were covered with the same armor and spikes on the elbows and wrist and forearms, almost in the same area as with the first creature's fins, but more frightening. The creature had spikes around the neck, spikes on the headpiece, and on its legs. There was no mouth and the sections of eyes were 3 by 10. It was the eyes that scared Nanette the most, even the fingers were non-human, the creature had five digits and they even had a razor blade look. Then Nanette remembered a old vid on a data crystal, a photo of a Shadow, but this was no Shadow, it was much different at closer sight, a Shadow is a six legged insect creature that feeds off chaos, hatred, and violence, but this creature does not have six legs, only two. Humanoid, but not. The last ideal remark is the large spikes on the sides of the base of the neck. Other than that the two creatures stood quietly, standing waiting—waiting for something? But most of all these creatures stood waiting for an apocalypse. As Nanette approached the two creatures carefully, they tell her to keep her distance. "Who—who are you?"

The creature looks at Nanette. "The future."

Nanette is unsure of what they mean. "The future, I don't understand?" Waiting for a reply but none is given. "What do you want of me?" Again no reply. "I can't help if I don't know what you want, service, trust, or a simple pat on the back and everything will be fine?" The two creatures look at one another then look back at Nanette. "Well if you wont talk to me then I will talk to you, my name is first officer Nanette of the research vessel Invincible, we are on mission to station Altavice, we are preparing to give a final battle against the Hand. We were hoping for greater allies, but our search has come up negative."

One of the creatures blurts out the ships name, the sound is fluidly. "Invincible?"

"The ship—yes—even though it is an ironic name for this ship, this ship has lost five crews and has never won a single battle."

The creature answers back, "Ironic—yes."

Nanette looks at the talkative creature. "I did not name this ship, it was built to be the strongest battleship of all, but was turned into a research vessel, but anyway—what's your names?"

The aquatic creature only speaks; the shadowy creature does not speak. "Gram."

Nanette nods, "Gram, and you?" Pointing at the creepy looking creature.

The shadowy creature does not speak, Gram mentions why. "He doesn't speak much, it is custom he was brought up to remain quiet."

Nanette looks at the shadowy creature, but her attention goes back to Gram. "Well then it's an honor to meet you Gram, but now I need to know what you want."

"The future." Says Gram.

"The future, the future of what?"

Gram replies. "Well we're not going to get anywhere with this, well if you're here for the future then what is the future you seek?"

The shadow speaks in a faint whisper. "You."

Nanette shakes her head in self-rejection. "Me, I'm the future? That is not possible, what power do I pose, I am only a first commander—what can I do?" No reply. "All right, so what do you want me to do about it? I need an answer."

Nanette becomes distressed and begins for the door. The shadowy creature replies to Nanette's distress. "Be here to learn by the hour of judgment!"

Nanette nods, "By the hour, I'll be here!"

Nanette exits the door, as the two creatures stand with the Vorlon's in a room empty and dark. "Nanette."

Nanette turns, shocked, it's the Captain. "Captain?"

The Captain seem upset! "You forgot to wake me!"

Nanette looks at her watch. "I forgot, I'm sorry captain."

He smiles, and pats Nanette on the shoulder. "It's all right, whatever you've been doing must been more important then to awaken me."

Nanette nods, "I have been busy."

They begin to walk back to the bridge. "You've must been."

Back in Nanette's room, where the two creatures still remain. "The key?" Says the shadowy creature.

The aquatic creature, Gram, nods, "Yes, the future."

The shadowy creature replies. "We tried to explain."

The helmet head begins to lift upward to expose the creature inside. As Nanette had guessed the whole outfit was an encounter suit. When the light began to dim the creature is then easily seen, it is a female with a humanoid face, but the outward view seems more fish like, almost like the Anterians—a world engulfed in water. She seems to survive without water but is covered with very viscous mucus that holds in the moisture against the flesh and scales. The facial looks appear with human hair, but the skin bulges outward across the eyebrow to the nasal cavity to the ears, scales that run down the sides of the neck to the chest that formed a shield of scales shield this skin. The hands and arms were covered with scales and had pectoral fins on the wrist and elbows. She had a clean complexion and held herself strongly. As she looked towards the shadow the shadow took off its encounter suit that sort of melted into the metal braces on his legs. The male had the same looks as the other—scales on the face, but not many on the arms—not even fins, but the legs were like her arms, scaly and mucus covered, but no fins. The only fins were on his wrist. As the two creatures looked towards one another the aquatic creature spoke. "So how is home?"

Gram, who appears as the shadowy creature replies. "It's fine, the crops in the tundra are having a hard time growing, space is just too cold for them, and how about you?"

The other nods. "Doing fine—we are almost ready to finish our new complex since the Hand destroyed the other one." Digressing off the subject. "I am glad Nanette left when she did, it is so uncomfortable to wear these encounter suits, it is so heavy and my wrist fins and the mucus makes the inside very lubricant and very sticky."

Gram agrees, "Yes I agree to a fashion, but we can't expose ourselves till time is right."

"And when will the time be right?"

Gram looks at the pictures in Nanette's room. "As soon as Nanette agrees to serve only the truth."

"She's not even part of the nine!"

Gram nods, "Yes, but we need her to take us to the enemies homeworlds, she's the only one who can get there!"

"Then should we be open to her?"

Gram looks back at his friend. "In time when she will work with us." The aquatic one places a tube into her mouth, which is hooked into her encounter suit. "I suppose it is my turn to talk, try not to talk much while going through your therapy." The aquatic headpiece closes with her inside the encounter suit; the Shadow rematerializes the suit and fades into thin air. As for the aquatic one, the only thing she does is stand there alone in the dark—surrounded by shadows.

With the final arrival to Altavice, the research vessel Invincible docks in landing bay two, for a prisoner ship was in docking bay one. The life of a convict is short now these days, if you commit any crime greater than treason you are left in Shadow space to suck on the vacuum. The most worst capitol punishment of its kind. When the ships air locks were connected with the station of Altavice, the captain and officers got off except Nanette, excited to learn what was in her room she goes back to her room. When she enters her room the room is empty—nothing except shadows of objects being reflected due to the lights of the Altavice.

As Nanette looks around there is nothing there so Nanette exits her room thinking that she had a dream with a nightmare at the same time. As for the two creatures they haven't left they were in the food court of the Invincible knowing that no one was aboard. The shadow and aqua creature completely removed their encounter suits and sat down at a table but remained invisible to any species just incase if someone entered the food court. As they ate some men entered the ship, they are very foul looking and speak rudely to one another. One man who became the dictator was very harsh and had weapons with him. When the two species finally learned what was happening, the shadow told the aquatic to find Nanette and get help. The shadow was going to go back to Nanette's room to commutate with the Vorlon's. As the aquatic creature finally found Nanette with her friends she could not appear to her in her aquatic form so the aquatic creature touched her and sent a telepathic message to Nanette. As Nanette's thoughts intertwine with the aquatic's thoughts Nanette felt cold and felt as if she was in a liquid environment. As she tried to fight the trance a voice spoke to her of danger aboard the Invincible. Nanette at first did not understand, but then remembered the encounter in her room—the judgment—so Nanette called to the captain to walk with her. "What's wrong Nanette?"

Nanette looks at her Captain, "There is something wrong on the Invincible, I don't know what, but there is!"

The Captain jokes, "Maybe you're the one who needs some rest."

They board the Invincible and as they near the internal air lock doors, the outer doors behind them slam shut, so Nanette and the captain run before the inner airlock doors shut. Nanette is running with the captain behind her an the doors begin to unlock the safety latches so the captain picks up Nanette and throws her into the vessel as the doors behind Nanette close. As Nanette rushes to open the doors, the air lock outer doors open flushing out the captain into space. The captain is treading space and choking on the vacuum that is bursting his lungs, as the captain dies his eyes remain frozen open glaring at Nanette as the doors close. Nanette is wondering why the doors were opened; as she looked through the porthole she sees bodies of security officers floating in outer space with a few convicts. That is when she knew there was danger aboard, but Nanette knew she was over powered. As she walked quietly to her room she feels the ship rotate. When she gets into her room she can see Altavice, as the Invincible fires at the station the station is badly crippled. Now Nanette is very upset and wants revenge, as she rushes to the door the door does not open, she feels the door but the door still wont open. As Nanette tries to open the door for the third time she hears sounds behind her. "You again, why did you not help?"

Gram looks at the angry Nanette, "Could not."

Nanette points at the door. "These people aboard are over powering us, we are now the weak ones and good chance I will be dead."

Gram nods, "Maybe."

Nanette looks at Gram. "That is very vague, why do you act so harsh? I mean why don't you help me, my captain is dead and my crew are also dead on the grave called Altavice. These men I bet are from the prisoner ship that docked on Altavice…my god these people were given no mercy as they will give us no mercy, they were sent to die, they will have a pleasure in killing us!"

Gram looks at his friend, "It can be avoided."

Nanette's anger becomes confusion. "How? How can it be avoided, were trapped in this room on this ship."

Nanette with all her rage just stares at the species with the look of up tightness. As Nanette Waited to hear the species talk; she had to wait longer till it was clear that they were not going to say anything. So Nanette went to her bed and sat down putting her head in her hands looking at the floor for some guidance. As Nanette meditated on the silence the two species moved quietly towards Nanette. When Nanette looked upward she was startled to see them so close. Nanette did not say a word or move a slight bit—afraid of startling them. Just as Nanette was about to speak the species interrupted her. "So you want to learn?" Says Gram.

Nanette nods, "Yes, as much as I can, I would be willing to give up anything!"

Gram looks at the Shadowy creature. "Anything?"

Nanette reconsiders her words. "Anything, well almost anything except my soul, that's the only thing I can say I truly own. What do you want of me?"

The shadowy creature finally speaks, "Learn!" Then the shadow hits Nanette with a ray of light, as Nanette looks around she notices she's no longer in her room and apparently no longer in her own body. With this occurrence Nanette panics but before she can fall from order to chaos the two species grab her. "You almost fell into chaos."

Nanette is relived of her fate, but is startled by the outward appearance of the two species. "Your almost Human like!"

Gram nods, "Yes almost."

Nanette looks around. "Where am I?"

Gram replies, "With us, this is like a storage bank for memories."

Nanette nods, "I see, so this is a dream?"

The shadowy creature replies. "Yes and no. It only determines your state of mind."

Nanette looks at the strangely formed species. "What is your species name?"

Gram replies, "Asmaraqua.":

Nanette smirks, "Asmaraqua, it has a nice sound to it."

The shadowy creature replies. "Thank you, but not all of us are full Asmaraqua; Gram is a hybrid of Human and Asmaraqua. He is the key, and we like you to also fit in the fall of the enemy."

Nanette looks at the unnamed creature, "Why, tell me?"

The Shadow hybrid walks forward to talk. "If not, your race will die, and we can't do anything about it!"

"Why not?"

Gram replies, "My race and Mira's race will not intervene because you're not important—yet."

Nanette not noticing that she now has the name of the other, still wrapped up in the whole concept of the end of the world. "So let me get this straight, you want me to transform to spare my race?"

Mira nods, "Yes."

"Well what do I get out of this?"

The two Asmaraqua's look at one another. Mira replies, "Nothing."

Nanette does not like her options. "Well that is a lost, but let me get this straight, if I transform my race will be saved and if not my race will burn with the others?"

Mira nods, "Yes."

"Well I really don't like the bad-bad situations, but what can I say—for starters what will be my percentage of making it alive off this ship?"

"80." Says Gram.

"80 percent, not bad, I can work with that. How long does it last?"

Mira is not sure of Nanette's question, "What?"

"The process of transforming myself?"

Mira replies, looking at Gram for confirmation. "About two days."

Nanette thinks, "Two days, does it hurt?"

Gram nods, "Yes."

"Will I be also issued one of those encounter suits?" Pointing to the devices around Mira's legs.

Gram looks at Mira for guidance. "No."

"Well I like to live long enough to see my children on Earth so if this will save my people, I will go through it."

Gram turns around and goes into a different section of room. Mira walks to Nanette and pulls out some plastic vials with some type of chemical. "This will hurt."

"What will happen?"

Gram opens the plastic veils. "This liquid will be placed at the base of the neck. Once air mixes with the chemical it will soak into the blood stream and in five minutes the chemical will have its affects to the facial features and will spread to the hands, chest, legs, and so on till you have completed transformation."

Nanette unbuttons her collar to expose the base of her neck. "Well let's begin before I decide otherwise!"

Gram agrees, "All right then."

Nanette lies down as Mira dumps a whitish blue liquid, the liquid strangely absorbs into the flesh and Nanette falls asleep. As the time goes on the flesh in certain parts begins to shift shape and is covered with scales. The face is also distorted by scales and a uplifted bone that covers the upper ear to the upper eyebrow down on the nasal cavity and mirrors on the other side. When scales have finished covering the up lifted skin, it begun down Nanette's chest to Nanette's legs. As the liquid began subsiding the transformation was completed. As the ship drifted in space the escaped convicts began for Sigma 957.

As the ship head for Sigma 957 the convicts are reading the ship guides to learn it secrets. Gram and Mira watch over Nanette's transformation without their encounter suits. Nanette's transformation was successful; the species Asmaraqua and Human have intertwined so perfectly to create a beautiful hybrid. Gram and Mira walk into a different room. "Today is a great day Gram."

Gram smiles, "Yes it is, the last chain has been completed; now we are ready for the Hand!"

Mira agrees, "Yes, I have sent for Delenn 3 and Z'ha'dum 2."

Gram looks confused, "The Minbari, Human hybrid, and the Shadow, Vorlon hybrid?"

Mira nods, "Yes Mirra, and Arimira."

Nanette begins to awaken and does not notice the changes, as she props herself up the mucus leaves draglines connected to her body to the floor. But Nanette does not notice the sticky fluid, as Nanette tries to stand up she stagers around but gets her bearings. As she walks around the room she stagers in front of a mirror, she stops suddenly and looks at the scales on her face which covered with mucus, touching lightly the mucus does not break off easily, instead the mucus remains in shape. As Nanette looks at her arms and hands she feels her new wrist fin and the scales that are coated in mucus. As Nanette is about to break down into tears she can't, the glands are blocked by mucus. While Nanette looks at herself, Gram and Mira look at Nanette and tell her that this new form is to protect her from the Hand. Nanette looks at Gram and Mira and ask who is the Hand to them? They tell Nanette to close her eyes as Gram touches her below the eye. As Nanette keeps her eyes closed she sees Gram. "Where are we?"

Gram replies, "We are in between time; you want to know who the Hand is to us?"

"Yes."

Gram looks off in the distance trying to recall the vision. "They're a race that walked among the stars and ripped those stars apart." The blackness shifts and Nanette and Gram are in space, vessels small and large rudely interrupt the space, as the ships roar through space the ships begin to slow down. "These were our own information."

Nanette looks at Gram, she does not clearly understand, "Why your own?"

Gram points to a ship that projects out a star of fire and it hit with a blinding light, as Nanette looks back she then looks to Gram saying, "oh".

"As I was saying, there is a race highly annoying and unknown in we don't know where they live. But at least we can now defeat them, which is what the hieroglyphics tell us in the City of Light, it would take the balance of light and darkness."

Nanette is lost once again. "I don't understand still Gram, what part do I play in this?"

Gram walks to Nanette left side and raises his hand and a world appears. It is very dark and the nearest planet is almost one light year away. The only bright source of light is a blood reddish orange nebula behind the dead looking planet. As Nanette looks at the planet, the planet sends cold chills up her spine, the feeling as if someone or something was watching her. As she stares at the shadowy planet, Gram startles her when he tells her of a force of darkness and chaos. "For two thousand years we—the younger races feared the civilization that made their home here."

Nanette looks at the planet, she has traveled the stars, but never seen this place before. "It looks like hell!"

Gram looks at Nanette and then back at the hellish planet. "You're absolutely correct Nanette, it is hell, and this planet if you went to you never come back from—alive. It is the home world of the Shadow's, the world is called Z'ha'dum—meaning broken enemy in Minbari. They are 1000 years older then the fourth oldest race, the Vorlon's. They are even 200 years older then the Hand. The Shadow's came out every thousand years and destroyed weak races; I suppose you could say they had no respect for the weak genetic aliens. In 2258 a ship called the Icarus went to Z'ha'dum on a secret planetary exploration to look for the creatures that planted those spidery vessels on Mars. The Shadow's must have been cranky for when the crew of the Icarus found the Shadow's, and the Shadow's destroyed all their personalities, a few were used a emissaries like Mr. Morden who latter got his head chopped off on Centauri Prime. Another named Justin who was killed by nuclear fall out, and Ana Sheridan who was killed by a direct nuclear blast, but the Shadow's did not stop there, no way, they instead tore up the galaxy with a cat and mouse game with the Vorlon's. And by 2261 the Shadow's and Vorlon's decided that they overstayed their welcome so they went away with the other first ones, but they left their influences. The Shadow's destroyed Z'ha'dum, their homeworld."

Nanette looks confused, "Wait a minute; I thought you said that was Z'ha'dum?"

Pointing to the dead looking planet. "No, that is Drakh's fore doing; they dragged this planet from within the boarder of the rim. The Drakh only call this planet X'ha'dum."

Nanette being sarcastic, "What happen to Y'ha'dum?" of K'ha'dum?"

"There has never been an Y'ha'dum in my time, it was destroyed. And K'ha'dum belongs not to the Shadow's."

"I see, well continue."

"Well as I was saying Z'ha'dum plays an important part to our ability to defeat the Hand."

Nanette interrupts Gram. "May I ask a question?"

"Sure, go ahead!" Gram says annoyed.

"If you had to either battle a Shadow or a Hand, which one?"

Gram looks unsure of the question at first, but answers. "Neither, but if I had no choice I would choose the Hand."

"Why the Hand?"

Gram looks to Nanette's illiteracy as an opportunity to humor himself. "Have you ever seen what a Shadow can do?"

"No I did not even know they existed!"

Gram closes his fingers and Z'ha'dum is crushed as the fingers open up again the picture of red rocks with Shadow's lurking in the midst. As the picture seems to get closer to the red rock wall, there is a strange noise that no object can make. The picture stops and near the palm of Grams hand a figure moves then rises. As the creature appears out of the darkness it is beginning to become visible, it has an pyramid triangle like head covered in spikes, it has a elongated look to its neck with two long spears pointing away from the creatures head, its neck was aligned with a shield of spikes, but when seen over all it looks like a giant spider. "This is a Shadow, we don't know there culture, arts, or even their average life span, all we know is that they are an violent culture, I mean you can even see it in their encounter suit and there ships and mostly their homeworld."

Nanette finally is not sure what Z'ha'dum has to do with her, why is it so important if it does not even exist! "So what does Z'ha'dum have to do with me?"

"Not you, but it also influenced you. There were Technomages on Altavice, weren't there?"

Nanette thinks back, "Yes, they are great with repairs."

Gram smiles, humored by his encounter with a technomage. "I hope so, that what they were designed to do, fix and serve the Shadow vessels. There will be someone meeting us in a few hours, she just like you, a hybrid, but of Shadow and Vorlon, when she arrives show respect, she is only 500 years old, but three-forth of the time she slept in an cryonic chamber."

"For 500 years, why such time?"

Gram walks slowly towards Nanette. "Well Nanette it's hard to say what the Shadow's or the Vorlon's have in plan, you see Nanette; the Shadow's and the Vorlon's don't follow our time, they are so old that they make their own time."

"Does the Shadow hybrid have a name?"

Gram nods, "Arimira, she is—well—different in sight, but I believe she is very nice to get along with. The other person who will be joining us comes from Minbar, the Minbari don't want him to leave Minbar for they are worried for his safety, see you have to understand that the prophesy of Delenn was the one who sent the Shadow's beyond the rim. His name is Delenn 3 Mirra Mir."

Nanette looks at Mira, "Isn't Delenn a female name?"

"Yes, but there is a reason why he is named that, on Minbar he is called Delenn 3, but we call him Mirra."

Nanette nods preferring that name better. "That sounds more common."

Gram is uncertain, he has never paid any mind to Mirra's name. "I suppose, Mirra is a very wordy child, raised to listen to every word and to terminate any confusion, you have to remember he was formed by Vorlon influence and technology."

Nanette has heard of the Vorlon's and sees how much these Asmaraqua's know of Vorlon. "Have you ever seen the Vorlon's or their homeworld?"

Gram thinks back, "In real life, once; but the homeworld no."

Nanette looks at the Asmaraqua's, "Would you like to see?"

Gram thinks of the question. "Yes, if you don't mind?" Gram conceals energy to show a picture of the Vorlon home world. "These photos of the Vorlon Empire were captured by the Shadow's almost 500 thousand years ago; we don't have any pictures of their homeworld because any ship that goes near the planet is captured, its crew are experimented on and put in tubes, but that is only speculation."

Nanette thinks of the reply Gram has just given, "I see, just a consideration, when the other hybrids arrive they wont even be able to approach us, the prisoners will see them and fire at them."

Mira smiles, almost wanting to laugh. "Don't worry, they use a type of stealth technology and if I were the prisoner I wouldn't even dare try to open fire on a vessel that looks more provoking then I do."

"Well there not you, they're death row prisoners whose only jurisdiction is to blaze down any approaching vessel, death no more frightens them any more."

Mira knows of the pending doom approaching them. "Apparently not, if they have the will to exterminate a station with no defense, then they might as well be hostile."

Nanette is still skeptical about the new transformation, "But this transformation will increase my survival chance?"

Mira nods, "Yes, somewhat, the scales act like a shield and covers the most vital parts of the body, and the blade of a knife can't cut the flesh underneath."

Nanette thinking of the situation, "Well I suppose it is a good advancement."

On the bridge of the Invincible the prisoners await the final approach to Sigma 957. as the Invincible approaches Sigma 957 the prisoners cannot see the danger ahead, the only reason why they were going to Sigma 957 was because it was the only place no one will go to. About two hours till they jump into regular space the Minbari hybrid and Shadow hybrid vessels docked and burned their way into the Invincible, as the hybrids walked out of their vessels they went in search of Gram and Mira, and were excited to finally meet the new addition—Nanette. Both Mirra and Arimira finally found Gram and Gram welcomed them and warned them of the existing danger the vessel Invincible prepossess. When Mirra and Arimira entered Nanette's room but cloaked while Gram enters uncloaked because he lacks the cloaking ability without his encounter suit. As Gram just stood there the blackness shifted behind him and two figures appeared. "This is Arimira and Mirra, Arimira and Mirra this is Nanette and Mira and I am called Gram, thank you for coming in short notice."

Arimira looks at Nanette, amazed at the art work, "It has been done?"

Gram is uncertain on Arimira's question. "Excuse me?" Arimira tilts her head forward as if to say something. "Oh yes it has been done; Nanette is the final result in our preparation against the Hand."

Mirra finally speaks, which is very rare considering his trauma. "Nanette?"

Gram is surprised to hear Mirra speak aloud, his voice is somewhat shaky, but he holds a firm grip on his tone with the accompaniment of wheezing to begin his sentence, but Mirra's talk remain vague and short—to the point. "'Yes Mirra, this is Nanette, she has aloud to become transformed to save all life as we know it, Nanette is a cross breed of half Human and half Asmaraqua."

Arimira smiles, "An interesting combination."

Mirra speaks for the second time in less then 30 seconds. "Yes I agree."

Arimira looks at Gram, "What rank does she hold?"

Gram replies, "Nanette is a first officer, but right now she is no longer in command, as we speak the vessel is under control by death row prisoners."

Nanette walks forward, still trying to get a grip on her newly formed legs. "What position of power do you two hold?"

Gram is shocked and worried that Arimira may take the question wrong. "Nanette, I don't believe you should."

Arimira looks at Gram, "Silence" Looking at Nanette newfound. "I am just an ambassador for a world long dead."

Nanette looks at Mirra, "And you"

Mirra looks at Nanette, "Prophesy."

Nanette smiles, "Wow what a title to hold."

Mirra agrees, "Yes."

Nanette looks at Gram. "So Gram, now that everyone is here can someone tell me who these Hands are and why it takes all of us to defeat them?"

Gram walks forward as Arimira walks backwards into the Shadow's. Mirra and Mira are standing side-by-side as Gram begins to speak. "Well Nanette now that your speaking more freely I suppose we can usher you into the second stage of your transformation. You see, the Hand are known to be the Hand of God, you can't destroy them, you can't out run them, you can only serve them or be grounded to dust before them. That is what they did almost 500 thousand years ago, but was defeated by the Shadow's, Vorlon's, other first ones and the Race of Light, but the first ones could not destroy their ship not even touch them, I suppose you could say they are indestructible. The Hand are an race of pure darkness almost like an black hole—all light goes in and nothing comes out, crushed by darkness. We are not even finished with the prophesy, we still have to search for the prophesy of Delenn 2nd, because the Hand will find her and destroy her, so she transformed her image in to a male to fool the Hand to survive longer. So if the Hand succeeds with their mission what will happen is that Delenn will never transform the Shadow's will win the war, John Sheridan will never married Delenn, and the Hand will be sent away into eternal darkness, it's a way we don't want the universe to go, but the Hand are willing to wait a few billion years to destroy the force of light. If this was to occur now we would be normal and the third Shadow War would replace the Hand war, as it says in the Holy Scriptures on Minbar."

Nanette looks at Mirra, "Can we look at those files?"

Mirra says nothing, Gram replies, "Yes, do we have a computer that gets stellar com?"

Nanette nods, "Only the bridge."

Mirra looks at Gram. "Gram I have one file from early Minbar gathered by my family, it may have something of interest?"

Places the data crystal in the machine. _Cala, Sher'shok Dum Tedum. In'a fie be'tri ele'dar'ardmin Valen de'hakanai. A'se min'entil de'Minbar. Ner Z'ha'dum. Dum _Translations: Careful, ancient enemy asleep. I have with defense by triluminary for chrysalis. I am ambassador for Minbar. Fear Broken End END . Nanette looks at Mirra, "What did she say?"

Mirra comes forward. "I believe I can translate; I was listening to the message, as the message is an old one, as old as the dawn of Human's when the Minbari hid the Triluminaries."

Nanette looks at Mirra, "Why?"

"Because of the Shadow's, the message stated that you need to be careful, ancient enemy is asleep. I have been defended by Triluminary. For chrysalis. I am ambassador for Minbar. Fear Broken End."

Nanette looks at Gram, "Broken end?"

Gram replies one cold word. "Z'ha'dum."

The word sends shivers up Nanette's spine. "I see. Well what do we do now?"

Gram replies strongly, "Liberate this ship!"

Nanette looks at Gram, hope has fell with her. "How?"

"I don't know—rampage?" Gram looks at Mirra. "Mirra do you have any weapons?"

Mirra looks at Gram, "Weapons, yes."

Gram waits for the third reply, it does not come. "Well?"

Mirra takes out some rings. "Pressure rings, and my Minbari fighting pike and a triluminary device."

Gram replies, "Could you issue us pressure rings?"

Mirra shakes his head, No, they're DNA coded to my own DNA to prevent misuse by others."

Gram looks at Arimira, "I understand, well then Arimira, do you have any weapons for lease?"

Arimira shakes her head. "No, to dangerous, can lease Shadow technology, to dangerous, it would control you!"

Gram is feeling hopeless. "Well that leaves us with basics, well you will cover us. "

As the five species moved throughout the ship they tried to avoid the ruthless prisoners, but with cloaking devices it made the passage safer. Nanette was very nervous about going against the prisoners, but she also felt very powerful, she had no worries she was transformed, evolved, revised to be protected, but what could she do, what new advancements did she gain? It was too early to say and Nanette was nervous of her newly formed abilities that thrived in her. The prisoners were very tired, they have almost been wide awake for 24 hours, they are becoming hostile against one another, already one prisoner has shot another and by the hour one more drops who was going insane. As Nanette reached the security room she opened the door to enter, as she opens the door she sees a figure run into a closet, Nanette signals for Mirra to move forward and quietly shows him that that there is someone in the room, so the other three people enter and close the door to signal and search and hopefully not find a person inside the closet. As Mirra closes in on the suspected area, Mirra uses a pressure ring to paralyze whatever was in the closet for no more than one minute. When Mirra tells it's safe, Nanette opens the closet door and finds the security guard, still alive. "What did you do to him?"

Mirra looks at the guard, "He has been paralyzed for 1 minute, but it is now only 15 seconds."

Nanette looks at the guard, but still cloaked knowing that the guard will protect himself. She uncloaks herself to expose that she is now captain of this ship. As the guard looks at Nanette he is relieved to see a friendly face, but then he noticed that Nanette has changed a little, and he tried to avoid eye-to-eye contact. "Please don't be afraid of me, I have not changed my heart and I need your loyal service to me, as we have had since arriving to Altavice."

The guard nods, "Yes Captain Nanette, I'm sorry I disturbed you Nanette, I was very nervous of your appearance, now I clearly see."

Nanette looks at the guards wimpy expressions. "Thank you."

The guard looks at Nanette, "So what do you want me to do Nanette?"

Nanette looks at the guard, "We need your skills to deactivate the ships main computer to this mainframe."

The guard nods, "All right Nanette."

"Guard may I ask of your name?"

The guard seems shy, but speaks quietly. "My name is Incevi; I was assigned to the ship Invincible about two months ago. I like to remain unnoticed; I believe that's why the prisoners do not know that I am here."

Nanette nods, "That's a good possibility."

Incevi looks at the other hybrids, "So who are your comrades Nanette?"

"Well let me first introduce to you Arimira, she is a Shadow hybrid of half Shadow half Vorlon, but we others sometimes refer her as Z'ha'dum 2. This here is Delenn 3 Mirra Mir, he is a Minbari hybrid of half Human half Minbari and we refer him as Mirra. Over there is Gram, he is an Anterian hybrid, the race is as young as the Drakh, but on a genetic scale he is half Asmaraqua half Shadow. The last one is Mira; she is an Asmaraqua hybrid of half Human half Asmaraqua."

Incevi nods, "I see, I suppose you all are hybrids?"

Mira comes forward. "Yes, except you, but don't feel threaten Incevi, transformation is not needed for you, and I have all ready finished my job."

Everyone except Mira is wondering whom she is talking about. "What job?" Asks Incevi.

"Oh yes, well it goes like this, has anyone here ever heard of a race called the Hand?"

Arimira, Nanette, Mirra, and Gram are confused at what Mira is saying, but Incevi shows a dark complexion over his face that tells Mira that he knows something. "Incevi do you know anything of the Hand?"

"Ah—no—nothing!"

Mirra now notices that Incevi is lying. "Your lying Incevi, tell the truth it matters!"

Incevi extorts again, "I told you, I have no current files of the Hand!"

Arimira is now suspicious. "What about memories?"

Nanette and Gram are watching Incevi facial expressions; Incevi remains quiet for the time being. Mirra comes closer to Incevi. "Incevi, we are getting closer to Sigma 957; we believe the prisoners don't know where they're going."

Mira stresses. "Incevi, we believe the Hand's jump gate is there, and the Hand will destroy the Invincible and we will all die, but if you have seen them you could give us information that may save our lives!"

Incevi keeps staring at the ground hoping that the order will go away, but the pressure of the hybrids is overwhelming. "All right, I thought you would not hurt me!"

Mira looks back to the other four hybrids. "Sorry Incevi, I upset you; I am use to getting answers to my problems."

Incevi replies sharply, "I know!"

Mira agrees. "I know you know Incevi, I am truly sorry."

Incevi looks at Nanette, the only one who has not grilled him for information. "I do know the information you seek, I was there when they took the jump gate out of hyperspace for the second time, it was believed to be the jump gate to the gods, and instead it was the jump gate to hell. When we opened the gate we could not shut it down, but to make matters worse the gate sent out a telepathic signal that took control of the minds that could be touched by chaos, it made you insane, and you killed one another."

Mira listens carefully, "You said, 'That could be touched', what do you mean?"

Incevi was hoping that this would be the end of questions. "Some were not touched by the signal, mostly those who were touched by either the Vorlon's or Shadow's."

Mira keeps the question going. "And you did not get touched because?"

Incevi continues, "I fought against the Drakh, just before they left my world in the Sector 45 they experimented with the children with Shadow technology so the world would never be safe for your children's next generation, they believed the Shadow's would return and take us as their first host for their ships. When I was on the vessel most of the crew in star furies was not touched because they—the children were the pilots, we were expendable."

Mira, looks at Incevi for Shadow mutation, but sees none. Mira looks at Arimira, "I see, and does this signal have an affect against hybrids?"

Arimira shrugs her shoulders, "Not what I know, Delenn was never touched by the signal in the first emergence."

Incevi interrupts Arimira, "Then that may give us a ledge."

Gram interrupts. "Okay tell me if I am right, this jump gate uses a telepathic signal to make you mindless zombies then you kill one another?"

Incevi nods, "Correct, that's what happens."

Gram continues, "And this only happens when the gate is open?"

"No—it began before the gate was open, trying to make people open it with a large battery."

Gram pictures this giant energizer battery floating in space. "All right, now that is clear, when we are in telepathic range what will happen with the prisoners?"

Incevi replies to the best of his knowledge. "They will wreck any object in sight and once in contact with other organic species they will fight till one die's."

Gram looks at Mira, "Ouch, but a question haunts me, you said it was powered by a large double D battery?"

Incevi takes in a deep breath, not much prone to humor. "Well you could say that, it was enough to open the gate and that is when all hell broke loose!"

Gram continues, "What type of hell did you encounter?"

"Well it's hard to explain, a lot of weird anomalies happened in Sigma 957, but I can say this, whatever was coming through that jump gate got bad to worse and beyond that level, now a starfury can do a lot of damage to a vessel much smaller then our ship, but those small drone vessels shot out what appears to be flaming balls of fire that can destroy an entire White Star with one blast! And those ships were cloaked strangely with shields so even if we did fire it was deflected. And when the jump gate shifted in spectrum something much worse came out beyond comprehension! We got to stage three, and that when we turned around and fled, but from the first encounter that gate was shut down due to a nuclear blast."

Gram interrupts Incevi's story. "Wait a minute you can get into the gate?"

Incevi nods, "Oh yes, only if you're insane! You see being in the gate you have the Hand to worry about. Sheridan said that the creature was 10 times his size and the creature was not like no other alien he has seen before, it can materialize any weapon it desires and use it against you, Sheridan barely got away with his life an only because he was lucky to backtrack, but Sheridan did noted that the vessels that were coming were the size of two Minbari War vessels. Consider what we've been fighting is only the beginning."

Gram looks at Mira then Nanette, Nanette does not like the idea, Gram looks at Incevi. "I see, thank you Incevi for the information, you good chance have saved our lives, if it was not for you we would be doomed!"

Incevi looks at the window. "Once inside the telepathic range we will be doomed, but this would be out best time to move against the prisoners and finally make our take over plan."

Arimira looks towards Nanette. "Well I did not want to live forever any way!"

Nanette looks at Arimira. "Well I do."

Incevi now worried. "Quiet—both of you—this is no time to argue!"

Arimira and Nanette look towards Incevi with a discussed look on their faces. "We were not fighting, just—ah—improvising, that's right improvising!" Says Arimira.

Incevi shakes his head, he can't believe that the universe would spare these idiots. "Well it does not matter at all Nanette and Arimira, we have a job to do, and we have no time to waste."

Mirra now interrupts briefly. "I agree, we need to be more organized and less patronizing, order over chaos!"

Arimira, Nanette, Gram, Mira, and Incevi look at one another in shear confusion. But Incevi's attention is altered when he sees hostile vessels are on approach. "Oh great, we've been spotted."

Nanette looks at Incevi. "Do we have external cameras in here?"

Incevi nods. "Yes, I have been downloading the files from the mainframe and by pushing this button and wa-la presto!" A screen smaller then the screen window in C&C Bridge shows three distorted brownish vessel approaching fast and ballistic! Nanette hurries to the new weapons control to arm weapons, but Incevi has different plans. "Nanette, those are the same vessels that shot out balls of fire! We cannot destroy them; it took nine White Stars just to injure the darn thing!"

Nanette looks at the vessel. "This is a Hand vessel?"

"Well that is what the alliance calls them; they really don't have any other official name, one alien refers them as the "Hand of God", the Hand that plucks out stars in their wake." Incevi looks towards Mirra. "It's like your little wars with the Shadow's that were not their name right?"

Mirra looks very grey. "When we found the Shadow's over two thousand years ago, they were like Shadow's against the vial, they moved fast and seem to filter within the stars, when my people attacked the Shadow's homeworld there was no name for the species homeworld so we called it Z'ha'dum, or Minbari for broken enemy."

Incevi says dryly. "Interesting!"

Mira keeps watching the monitors, watching the Hand vessels approaching—fast. Mira now knows it is time to interrupt Incevi's and Mirra's conversation. "It is nice that you two are getting along, but we have a war outside and lives are endangered."

Incevi and Mirra look at Mira with apathy. "Yes, we do have a problem, how is the prisoner hold?"

Incevi looks at the monitor and sees a shocking sight. "They're all—dead!"

Nanette looks at the monitor. "What?"

Incevi replies sharply. "You heard me correct!"

Incevi, Mira, Gram, Mirra, Nanette, and Arimira look at the monitor only to see the prisoners dead on the floor, some had mettle pipes in their chest others were choked or with snapped necks. The scene was daunting. "Well—one problem is finished; now lets go take back our ship." Says Nanette.

Incevi remains in the security room channeling controls back to the bridge, Nanette gives orders to the others and sees what they can do. "We have to have crew in parts of this ship, it requires a crew to run the Invincible so I need to know your skills so your placed where you can do good."

Arimira walks forward. "I have been programmed with Shadow and Vorlon weapons skills, I could run weapons as if they were either a Shadow or Vorlon vessel."

Nanette nods, "Good, I need an expert on weapons, having Shadow and Vorlon knowledge may very well apply to the system."

Mirra comes forward as Arimira heads towards C&C. "My skills are of no use to you, I am only an ambassador for Minbar, also I have been in battles with the Drakh and Hand, the Grey Council has supplied me with data to break codes, learn languages, and investigate battle plans."

Nanette all ready knows where she needs Mirra placed. "Good, you can be the ships special intelligence, you are also the ships navigator, go to C&C there you will have to your use are video, translator devices, and thousands of codes."

Mirra looks towards Nanette, and turns to leave. Next to come is Gram. "Nanette my specialty is in engineering, all ready I can equip my knowledge to the basics of Shadow technology, I can promise you that you wont have engine problems, but don't disturb me please, interfacing Shadow technology into this ship is very hard, but can be done."

Nanette looks at Gram, "What will it give us?"

"Better self-defense, and the ability to cloak into Shadow hyperspace—only used by Shadow vessels."

Nanette nods and smiles. "All right, do what you have to do Gram."

Gram walks to the engine room, as Mira walks forward. "My skills are in medical, Nanette."

"Okay Mira, go to Med bay and get familiar with the equipment."

Mira goes to the Med Bay. Last is Incevi. "Well Nanette you know what I do, I work with security, I will be here if you need me."

"Thank you Incevi for your loyalty to the Invincible and me."

Nanette begins to leave, but Incevi stops her. "Nanette," Nanette turns around to face Incevi, "please do understand, even with your transformation I still respect you as an officer and more as a friend."

Nanette feels honored. "Thank you Incevi, thank you very much!"

Incevi leaves Nanette and Nanette begins for C&C, but her name is called out again. "**NANETTE.**"

Nanette turns around to see Kosh Nanarke and Ulkesh Kosh. "Kosh?"

"**WE WILL ALWAYS BE HERE.**"

The Vorlon's leave. As Nanette thrives on the surprise she enters C&C to see the dead bodies piled side by side near the door. "Mirra?"

Mirra looks at Nanette, he is disgusted by the sight. "I am here."

Nanette look at the piled bodies. "Did you move these bodies?"

"Yes Nanette, so we can work without obstacles."

Nanette looks at the bodies. "What a way to die."

Mirra nods, "Yes."

Nanette goes to the captain chair an just stares at it thinking of the time when she was first officer that she wanted to sit on this chair so bad—to have her own command, and now she does, but for all the wrong reasons. As Nanette sits the screen comes down, there is nine Hand vessels approaching. Nanette has a finger on the weapons control as they approach. Mirra senses that something is dead wrong with this picture. "Nanette."

Nanette looks at Mirra, but keeps one eye on the vessels. "Yes Mirra?"

"What would you do if you thought the crew of an enemy vessel was dead and you were superior?"

Nanette thinks, "I would not fire a pond them and let the ship go by to aloud no proof of my arrival."

Mirra looks at the creepy vessels. "Well do you think this is what the Hand is doing?"

"Yes," Sensing Mirra's discomfort. "well no, but no one can be sure."

"Nanette—you wanted a special intelligence officer well you've got one, now Nanette I would not say anything if I was not sure, there was no signal, it is as if they're waiting for us to make a move, to see if any of the dead prisoners are alive!"

Nanette thinks, it's a offensive procedure. "That's a possibility Mirra."

As the ships come closer the Invincible drifts dead like against the enemy. as the enemy comes into firing range Nanette sits nervously with her finger on the weapons control. "Don't fire Nanette, if we get in trouble we can jump into Shadow space."

Nanette says almost in whispers. "But Gram says it takes a lot of energy to create the field!"

"Yes, but we have two Shadow hybrids that can help one another."

The ships fly on by and keep on going showing no interest. Nanette looks revived. "Well you were correct they are survey ships. Mirra tell Gram to prepare for a Shadow jump and set in these numbers: Sigma 1257/KX19."

Mirra is just about to enter the numbers when he looks at Nanette—shocked. "What is Sigma 1257/KX19?"

Nanette is really unsure. "An area where we wait to repair the ship. This ship was heading to Sigma 1257 and I don't want to be here if the Hand get bored!"

Mirra chuckles, "All right Nanette." Mirra types into the computer console and signals Gram to prepare the jump engines. "Gram and Arimira are ready for the jump!"

Nanette nods, "All right—jump!"

The entire vessel foils in space and totally disappears. "We've jumped captain."

Nanette looks outside the window to see space as black as pitch of night and no source of light. "Shadow hyperspace?"

Mirra looks at the void. "Correct, during the Shadow War the Shadow battle crabs would easily foil in and out of space hitting us unexspectly, we called it Shadowism."

There is a beeping sound. "What is that?"

Mirra is also caught off guard. "Can't be a ship, were the only one with Shadow technology."

Nanette looks at Mirra. "Then what is it?"

Mirra looks at the console, but sees nothing then there is a glitch on the console, the glitch is a bright flash of yellow in the black. Mirra looks at Nanette with fear in his eyes. "Apparently were not alone Nanette; whatever is outside should be at the window."

Nanette and Mirra watch the blackness seeing nothing, then something is blacker then space around it. Nanette tells Mirra to go over to the object to check it out. As the Invincible comes into contact with the vessel you can't even see the shape of the vessel it is enormous.

"What in blue blazing is that, it is not a battle crab!"

Mirra looks at it. "No it is a planet killer, we called it the Shadow Cloud; it is a gigantic organic vessel--I Valen's name...it is the legendary Shadow vessel Xha'dum!"

"Xha'dum, Organic?"

"Correct, it is just indestructible."

Nanette looks at the instruments. "If it is an organic ship and we are using Shadow technology can this cause problem?"

Mirra is thinking very deep. "Good chance."

Nanette runs to her chair as Mira runs back to navigation. "Get us away."

"Yes, all ready done so."

The Invincible pulls away and goes back on track. As Nanette and Mirra sit quietly they are interrupted by the intercom. "Nanette?"

"Here!"

"This is Incevi, what was that gigantic ship I couldn't even see it!"

Nanette looks at Mirra, how did he know about the ship? "Mirra says it is a Shadow Cloud."

"A Shadow Cloud, I thought that all blew up with Z'ha'dum?"

Nanette, looks around the bridge to see where Incevi is watching them. "So did I, but it is logical to think that the Shadow's may leave vessels in decommission."

"But why?"

Mirra interrupts. "The Shadow's believe they would be back from beyond the rim to retake their power."

Incevi replies. "So that must be why their here?"

Nanette agrees. "Good chance."

As the Invincible goes pass the Shadow fleet the sheer size is overwhelming! Hundred of thousands of ships sitting they're waiting for battle that will never come. As Mirra and Nanette sit quietly the beeper goes off again. "Now what?"

Mirra looks towards his console. "We have reached Sigma 1257KX19, ready to jump Captain Nanette!"

Nanette nods, "All right, jump."

The Invincible twist and turns as the new organic ship emerges out of Shadow space. As the cloaking is removed Sigma 1257KX19 is a starless sigma with only one black planet and one giant orange red nebula behind the planet that looks like a giant fire storm. As Mirra looks outside he looks a pond a planet so black that it is so well camouflaged with its surroundings. Mirra looks at Nanette. "Does the planet have an identification name?"

Nanette looks at her console. "A name, yes."

Mirra looks at Nanette, hoping for the best. "What is it then?"

"It is known only by a few of Earth force, I am surprised the Grey Council does not know of this place!"

Mirra looks at Nanette, she is aware of nothing truly. "The Grey Council only knows the furthest planet on the rim in sector 1257."

Nanette looks at Mirra, but she still is looking for the hidden camera. "And that place was?"

"The homeworld of the Shadow's, Z'ha'dum, but now Sigma 957 was the only furthest known planet from the rim, also inhabited of the Shadow's. So once again I ask does Sigma 1257KX19's planet have a name?"

Nanette looks at Mirra, knowing he is not going to like what he is about to hear. "Yes, it is called X'ha'dum."

"X'ha'dum, sounds like Z'ha'dum, is there an Y'ha'dum?"

Nanette chuckles, she said the same. "No Mirra, no Y'ha'dum."

Mirra looks at the floor. "Oh what a let down, so tell me this, how do you know of this place?"

Nanette looks at the planet. "In stories, this is believed to be allied of the Drakh, and the returning spot of the Shadow's."

Mirra looks at the world. "Well this place can fit the purpose!"

Nanette nods, "Yes it does."

The beeper goes off and a vessel much smaller than the Invincible engines jumps out of hyperspace. The light of hyperspace is so bright in this place of eternal darkness that the walls of blackness seem to shudder. As the jump point closes X'ha'dum begins to show strange sparks of light—glowing very dimly—shades of light orange, yellow and red. Then the planet is finally lit up and strange lines of light criss-cross the planet and shapes begin to take motion. As Nanette and Mirra watch the planet, the planets surface shots out a beam of fire towards the unknown vessel. Just before the fire hits, a shuttle is shot off just as the ship blows up. The explosion was so great that it sent fragments into the Invincible and temporarily shutting down the energy giving a black out. With the disaster the Invincible moved in to pick up the shuttle. "Nanette!"

Nanette looks at Mirra, "Yes Mirra?"

"The descriptions of the shuttle are CX Valdi. Dispatched from a research base."

Nanette looks at the vessel. "A research base, what is it doing here?"

Mirra shakes his head. "I don't know?"

Nanette looks at the active planet once thought dead. "Second, what just happened from X'ha'dum?"

Once again Mirra shook his head. "I don't know?"

Nanette looks at the debris of the ship. "I thought the planet was dead?"

Mirra looks at the dark planet. "Apparently not!"

Nanette looks at Mirra. "All right Mirra, move into life pod CX Valdi, let take on life forms."

Mirra nods, "Yes Nanette, should I alert Incevi?"

Nanette looks at the burning wreck. "Yes, he is our security officer." As the Invincible moves into intercept CX Valdi, the vessel has a cross section on the side to confirm to Mirra's statement that it's a research vessel on life forms. Nanette is wondering why the CX Valdi did not fight back? With more questions, Nanette just become more restless! Mirra also was feeling sick about this place, Sigma 1257KX19 and the planet X'ha'dum is ghastly! As Nanette and Mirra are ready to head to the docking bay X'ha'dum fires once again, but it is not a fire, it is a grappling device. As Mirra and Nanette rush to there stations nearly falling over the consoles they notice that the energy band is pulling the Invincible to X'ha'dum. As the Invincible gets closer to X'ha'dum, Mirra calls throughout the ship to go to quarters for he is shutting down the airlocks.

As the Invincible finally breaks through the atmosphere of volcanic gas, the surface is almost visible; the planets surface is orange-red, the most of the view is blocked by a towering mountain range, and the Invincible is heading towards these mountains. As the surface comes into view there is no sign of life, just a rocky surface with giant monoliths. Some of the monoliths tower at least 500 to 2000 feet high, and the energy seems to be channeled between the two rows of giant monoliths. As the currents carry the Invincible up the sides of the mountain monoliths, which now tower at least 3000 feet this tells Nanette that this channel is made to carry bigger vessels then the Invincible. As the Invincible is about to peak the mountains crest a new dole light fills the red sky. The light is a dim orange with streaks of yellow that seems to dance in X'ha'dum's skies, but the amazing part still remained unseen. As the mountain dropped about 30,000 feet down a rush of steam rocks the Invincible hard and as Nanette and Mirra look out their window their eyes widen, in front of them lays a giant column of erupting volcanic ash just boiling out of the fissure—never stopping. It finally dawns on Nanette that the planets atmosphere is composed of sulfuric acid, carbon monoxide, and sulfur—the compounds of a volcanic landscape, but the density of the cloud cover makes since why the scanners could not detect any disturbances, the volcanic ash messes up scanners, but as Mirra and Nanette saw it, the worse was yet to come, all around them the ground was boiling of hot rock, some were in shape of fountains, others just splattered and with the proper light Nanette could tell that they were inside a volcano's caldera. The caldera was at least 100 miles wide, about 70 miles of this caldera was highly explosive. The sides of the caldera erupted fountains of lava and it would appear that the only non-erupting area is where they came through. As the Invincible neared towards the second column they entered a high-pressure zone of ash and falling lava rocks, the entire area is covered in particles of fire and molten plasma. As the cloud erupts violently around them Mirra is afraid that the ship will break, but with the sudden stopping of the erupting and shaking it is evident that the ship has passed through the cloud.

When Nanette and Mirra look out the windows the sight is more startling, there is a huge city just below them, it looks like this: it is a black city with buildings of shifting black flesh that gives off reflections of black energy. Those buildings have spiny spikes all over the buildings. The major part of the city is almost 30,000 feet down and as the Invincible moves through the city most of the buildings rocket over the Invincible for nearly 20,000 feet. As the Invincible reaches the center of the city the main tower is so close that you could touch it. It looked like it was built of glass—black tinted, and the look-a-like glass changes its flesh. As Nanette and Mirra watch the tower, the gasses part and a fiery light appears, it is about twice the size of the Invincible, it rapid movement does not disturbed the air and the fire like ball does not look down, then as the Eye is out of sight, the sound of something of evil fills the inner ear drums of the inner mind. The Eye cascades downward and it stops the Invincible and looks at the ship. When the Eye appears in front of them Mirra tells Nanette not to look at it, for the Eye will control the weak mind, but it is too late it is superior to them and they view it, the Eye looks like 24 little eyes that is surrounded by fire or what looks like fire. As Mirra turned to Nanette, Mirra is now worried why the Eye has not attacked. The Eye fluxes and leaves and the Invincible begins moving. Nanette looks at Mirra with concern. "Why did they not attack?"

Mirra states his favorite line again, "I do not know?"

Arimira enters. "The Eye was here?"

Nanette looks at Arimira, "You know the Eye?"

Arimira looks at the city. "Only my programmed memory. The Eye will not aloud any other species to enter its city."

Nanette looks at the city. " So why did we get through?"

Arimira looks at the consoles. "When the Eye was watching us I programmed everyone on this ship to look as 100 percent Liberator."

Mirra interrupts Nanette with the most fear any Minbari can muster up. "Liberator?"

Arimira nods, "Shadow, to others except us, we now look like Shadow's."

Mirra looks at Nanette. "Will this hurt us for I am made by Vorlon technology?" Arimira seems confused for a while, and then she remembers the history of Shadowism and of X'ha'dum and she laughs beneath her breath. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing Mirra, a file from Z'ha'dum."

Nanette looks interested. "Go on Arimira."

"Well file 19, the Shadow's talk about the allied world X'ha'dum is Sigma 1257—Sector 19, the ones who lived here embraced life."

Mirra replies. "So why did they destroy the CX Valdi?"

Arimira answers in an instance. "The warning was broken, they pierced the cocoon of protection, and the Shadow's aren't stupid!"

Nanette looks at the screen that projects the view of the massive Liberator city. "So that must be why the Liberators Eye did not touch us as the one of Z'ha'dum touched the ones of the Babylon 5 era."

Arimira thinks for a second. "That's a good possibility."

The Invincible begins to descend towards the ground, Arimira, Mirra, and Nanette watched as the ground comes up to meet them, then Nanette lowered landing gears to land safely on the surface of X'ha'dum. As the grips of the tracking beam fades away the ship is released from the grip and now lays untouched. As Mirra, Nanette, and Arimira watch the movement outside they are joined by Gram, Mira, and Incevi who they first see the surface of this ancient planet and it's people. As for Arimira and Gram they can feel the presences of the Liberators and see them fading in and out only because of the Shadow DNA in themselves. As they all watch the bustling activity outside a message appears on the comcast: "_Welcome, state your business here, reply in two standard Earth minutes_".

As Mirra reads the message out loud Nanette is shocked by the friendly approach made by the Shadow's. Nanette types back: "_Business is of research origin, but current fights by Hand threw us off course_".

After the reply there was a waiting moment then another reply: "_Ideal, Hand? Explain_"

When Nanette heard the cold message, she types back: "_Ancient race locked away in eternal darkness_".

There is another waiting process: "_Ancient darkness? Do you come from Z'ha'dum_"?

The message is now typed slower to give idea of choice of words: "_Z'ha'dum does not exist, it was destroyed in the last great that was almost 1000 years ago, Lorien had taken all known first ones beyond the rim_".

The waiting process is a very long one, maybe it was because the Shadow's knew now they were alone, but whatever it was, the silence ended with another welcoming gesture: "_Welcome, you may come out of your vessel please bring your own respiratory life support_".

And with that the message was cut. Nanette looks at the small crew and has the decision of a lifetime. "All right, we have been welcomed, but we need to check on the crew members of the CX Valdi, Mira go back to Med Lab and bring supplies, Arimira stay here just incase if they want to talk again, Gram prepare the breather suits, Mirra and Incevi come with me."

Mirra looks at Nanette, "Coming." Incevi just follows.

Mirra and Incevi walk fast towards the docking bay. As they pass the transport tube, it opens and they are joined with Mira who has her medical equipment. As the enter the docking bay the shuttle of the once CX Valdi is laying steaming every steady, the gasses alert Nanette of a harmful gas, but it turns out to only be water vapor from the thrust off the CX Valdi. As Mirra, Incevi, and Mira look for an opening the material on the vessel is a shifting greenish blue organic flesh like the blackish purple organic flesh applied by Arimira and Gram. As Incevi looks at the vessel he is amazed to see such craftsmanship on just a shuttle. With his curiosity he approaches the vessel and touches the ship, the ship shifts shape so fast that the average eye would miss it and the focus of the organic material begins to consume him. As Incevi tries to pull his hand away the greenish blue organic flesh spreads further up his arm to the base of his neck and more he struggles the further he is pulled in. When Arimira and Gram see this they call Mira and Nanette to help as Incevi cries out for help. As Arimira and Gram approach, greenish blue plasma fires out and throws Arimira and Gram about ten feet plastering them in a pinkish-white silk-like cocoon leaving them paralyzed. When Nanette sees this she runs over to them to break apart the chrysalis, as for Mira, she runs towards Incevi and grabs his hand that is not consumed by the organic flesh and begins to pull him out of the organic fluid, but the organic fluid pulls back and the thrust has Mira in contact with the ship that is now consuming her. As for Arimira and Gram the chrysalis stills remains, as Nanette is almost successful on her mission to free them. As Nanette breaks the last strand she turns to the rescue of Incevi and can't see him, and only sees the scaly hand of Mira subducting into the ship. As Nanette watched, Arimira and Gram joined her. "What happened?" Said Gram.

Nanette looks carefully at the CX Valdi. "We lost Mira and Incevi to the CX Valdi; something tells me that the CX Valdi is not of any race we know."

Arimira picks off some of the chrysalis matter off her face and realizes what this is. "Nanette!"

Nanette turns to look at the chrysalis covered Arimira. "Yes Arimira?"

Arimira looks at the organic shell. "I believe I know who built this ship."

"By whom?" Says Nanette impatiently.

Arimira says coldly. "The Vorlon Empire, that is why it acted so harsh towards Gram and I, we both have Shadow technology in us, we are half Shadow, and the Shadow's were the Vorlon's worse enemy."

Nanette nods agreeing with Arimira's statement. "That may be a fact! But you also have Vorlon in you, so why did it not accept you?"

Arimira looks at the CX Valdi, "I believe that is why it did not kill Gram and I, a Vorlon won't hesitate to pull the trigger against a Shadow, and to them we are like parasites!"

Nanette remembering that a Shadow looks like a giant spider. "How true! But I need to know Arimira will the plasma kill them?"

Arimira remains looking at the Vorlon vessel. "The Vorlon order does not believe in wasting life, only altering it to higher playing fields."

Nanette looks at the CX Valdi, but her fear is not reassured. "Well that is assuring!" Nanette looks at the vessel, but keeps clear. "Well help me find a way to get into there."

Arimira nods, "I will do so Nanette."

Nanette goes to C&C, while Gram finishes up on those breather suits. Arimira begins to make scans and tries to make contact with a ship that its people have been dead for over 1000 years. As for Incevi and Mira they lay in plasma like environment with tubes and wires and organic compounds on their bodies and in their mouths. The sleep is produced by the ship as it sings to them, but as they lay untouched, they're also not alone, they are being watched by two Humans, but like Incevi and Mira they too have secrets, secrets from the Vorlon homeworld the secrets of the end of all life! As the two children watch the Human and hybrid they tell the ship to wake them and the ship retracts the tubes and the two cough out the fluid that was placed in their mouths. When they awaken it is very well lit up. As Mira and Incevi look around they find two people watching them, they appear to be Human, but their ship does not, Mira tries to make contact. "Hello, my name is Mira; this is Incevi, what are your names?"

The two children look at one another and the female does the majority of the talking. "My name is Casthmatic and this is Jake, where are you from?"

Mira looks at Incevi, turning her head in this ship is like trying to move after a thirty mile hike. "Well I am from Anterian, and Incevi is from an Earth colony…where are you from?"

Casthmatic looks at Jake…Jake nods his head. "Jake and I are from Earth, but when we turned nine years old we were abducted by a race called Vorlon's, we were experimented on, implanted with devices and then more alterations to aloud us to live in a liquid environment."

Incevi is flabbergasted, "How was it done?"

Casthmatic holds up tubes that were in Incevi and Mira. "By tubes, a tube is placed in the mouth and wires of organic compounds reshape the respiratory track to breathe gas, oxygen, and water, the only thing we can't breathe is vacuum. The only side affect to having an advanced respiratory system is the over abundance of slimy liquid called sputum, mostly when we wake."

Mira looks at Incevi, they both remember coughing up sputum. "Ah—personal question, were we just adjusted?"

Casthmatic smiles, "Well you're in plasma filled environment, so either you are dead, or your breathing has been enhanced.

Incevi is most disturbed, "You mean we now can breathe underwater?"

Casthmatic nods, "Yes, to a factor."

Mira looks at Mira, concern why she said to a factor, "A factor, what do you mean Casthmatic?"

Casthmatic is about to speak but Jake interrupts her. "You can't breathe in distilled water, no oxygen no life it is the laws of physics."

Incevi nods, "Physics, horrible—cruel reality. To a fashion, sometimes physics can be a lifesaver." Incevi feels something is not right with his neck.

Mira looks at Incevi who is touching his neck expecting to find gills but does not; Mira thinks that this is a humorist thing. Incevi sees this and puts his hands in his lap, "What's so funny Mira?"

Mira chuckles, "Nothing, I was just recalling the fact that my people can all ready breathe in water, but I could not; so I joined the Minbari-Earth alliance."

Casthmatic looks at Mira concern why. "Why?"

Mira's chuckles stop and she stares at Casthmatic. "Why I joined the alliance?"

Casthmatic shakes her head. "No, why can't you breathe liquid in the past if your people can?"

Mira shows her hair, not really common among Anterian's and shows her sealed gill slits at the base of her neck. "I am a hybrid, half Human half Asmaraqua; I suppose I have more Human genes till now, so I should thank you!"

Casthmatic looks confused. "Thank me; we were only acting to save your lives, by now you would have died of drowning."

Casthmatic and Jake look at one another in the form of did-we-say-to-much? Mira and Incevi see Casthmatic and Jake's fear so they figure to quiet down on questions. As for Incevi himself, well he is worried what else they may have done to him while he was not awake. As for Mira, she is excited to go home to her father on Anterian and to travel to the depths of some of the great cities about 30 to 40 thousand feet and deeper. For Jake, he is worried about the Shadow's that tried to board the CX Valdi. Casthmatic, like Jake hasn't seen a living creature except Vorlon's for over 500 years and she was more interested in the species aboard this ship and about her own new abilities and the interest to acquire these newly formed abilities that have been slowly put in her for over 500 years. As for Gram, Mirra, Nanette, and Arimira…well they don't know if they should mourn-wait-or go to the Liberators, but whatever the considerations are they all have hope that Incevi and Mira were pulled into help with medical and last but less—the citizens of X'ha'dum are wondering why they have not come out of the Invincible? The Liberators are becoming restless. Back on the CX Valdi the four are becoming more trusting. Casthmatic and Jake figured to explain what is happening to them and they would let Mira and Incevi tell them about them. "It is such a pleasure to talk to one like us, not a first one." Says Jake.

Incevi looks at Casthmatic and Jake, "Talking about first ones Casthmatic and Jake, no one has ever seen the Vorlon homeworld, could you give us information, stories, or sights of the planet?"

Jake looks at Casthmatic, Casthmatic smiles. "Why tell you when we could show you." Casthmatic and Jake stand up and help Mira and Incevi to take their first steps in plasma filled environment. "It is hard to walk in a plasma environment, but you will get better at it."

Mira looks at Casthmatic, "Where are we going?"

Casthmatic looks back at Mira. "To the navigation room, that is where the files are."

Mira nods lightly. "Okay."

As Casthmatic, Jake, Mira, and Incevi walk through an environment uncommon to any young species, to describe the feeling of the plasma it is sort of like moving through jello that has set for about one hour in the refrigerator, but the plasma was not cold, or hot, it was comfortable and as Casthmatic had said it would become easy to live in. when they finally got to the navigation room Casthmatic waited outside gesturing to go inside, so Jake, Mira, Incevi then Casthmatic entered as Casthmatic closed the door and dimmed the lights. "You request information on Vorlon, we like all information on Z'ha'dum, do we have a deal?" Says Jake.

Incevi nods, "Yes, but we can only tell you so much, the main information lay outside."

Jake looks at Casthmatic. "Outside, I do not understand?"

Incevi replies. "Your ship nailed them."

Jake remembers that the ship went into self defense against the darkness. "Oh the two Shadow's, why are they on this vessel?"

Incevi looks at Mira, Mira does not look at Incevi she is amazed at the design of the vessel. "Well I will tell you so much I know. Were at war with the Hand."

Jake is confused. "Hand?"

Incevi nods, "The new, but old race of darkness."

Jake looks at Casthmatic. "I see, the arising darkness, maybe that is why we were awaken, the Vorlon's told us that we would be there to help the nine go into Thirdspace."

Mira interrupts Incevi, "The nine?"

Jake nods and looks at Mira, "Yes, you must be two of the nine, and you say there is four outside and we make two, so that is eight…were shy one."

Casthmatic presses the button and a planet comes up, there are two stars and the novas far off to the sides that make the planet bluish white and very cloudy with ice rings. As the picture comes through the methane clouds there is a mushroom city that is lit up and the picture fades, as the city comes in view the picture enters one of the many buildings. As the blinding light stings the eyes of the four the inner part of the building is visible and there are hundred of thousand of glass tubes with bodies in them, mostly adults of all species, but the picture does not stop there, it enters another room with more glass tubes but with children. As the picture slows down the tubes are all shut down. "Pause—this is when the Vorlon's left the universe, but that was not it, some computers were left on to maintain three supports, defense of the planet, life support for the others, and waking—we were awaken—resume."

The picture shows two tubes being lifted up and taken away. "What's happening?" Says Incevi.

Casthmatic looks at the screen. "There time is up."

Incevi looks at the bodies. "They're going to be destroyed?"

Casthmatic looks at Incevi, "No, just watch."

As the tubes are placed in the ship they are separated to aloud the liquid and bodies fall out, after that the tubes are removed and the ship comes alive and plasma fills the inner of the vessel. After that the vessel launches off smoothly and the plasma moves the bodies away into a strange room that looks like the area that Mira and Incevi were in. "Wait-a-minute, this is you?" Says Incevi excitedly.

Casthmatic nods, "Yes, it is the only film we have, it is a record of our lives." The film stops and a list of information appears. "This is what we need done, we need some one able to read Vorlon, and we can't."

Mira looks at the text, "Well we have a Shadow Vorlon hybrid outside, if we make prints of those words we may be able to tell you both what it says."

Casthmatic looks at Mira and smiles. "If you can do that, that would be great!"

Jake looks at Incevi, "Now your turn, do you have any information on the Shadow's, the ship has missed the wars and we have only heard of Shadow's through whispers."

Mira looks at Incevi, but Incevi shakes his head, he wishes not to speak about these creatures. "Well the Shadow's are Minbari description of their ability to cloak in and out, Z'ha'dum is Minbari for broken enemy. Their last war was almost 1,000 years ago with all the remaining first ones and the younger races, the war turned to the Shadow's favor when they surrounded the entire fleet in three Shadow Clouds."

Jake is asked by the ship to question this cloud. "Shadow Clouds, explain?"

Mira thinks at a vid. of a Shadow Cloud. "They're a way to destroy entire planets and they're almost impossible to destroy, but anyway these clouds had consumed the entire fleet and one by one ships were being picked off, but more threaten than Shadow's was there emissary like Mr. Morden."

The ship makes Jake interrupt Mira again as it records all the conversation. "Mr. Morden, who is he if you don't mind me asking?"

Mira shrugs, "No, it's all right, Mr. Morden was part of the crew of the Icarus that was sent to Z'ha'dum to find any species living there, they found what was living there and most were killed when placed in Shadow vessels as central components. We latter learned that all the Shadow's ever wanted were not to be alone. We also found that to be the same case for the Vorlon's, even to this day they asked two of the most restricted questions, the Shadow's would say, "What do you want", the Vorlon's would ask "Who are you" and then came then came the Drakh—dark servants of the Shadow's and they always asked "Who do you serve", but it has been near 1,000 years since there last reign of terror, but we suspect of an alive race of Shadow's."

Casthmatic is just curious, not under control of the ship, but the question is taken in account by the ship as an interest. "Shadow's, where?"

Mira and Incevi look at one another with worry. "Ah—we are on the planet, a Liberator defense weapon destroyed your ship, so we picked up your life pod even though this is larger than the average life pod, but as we began to move we were captured by a tracking beam and settled on the surface of X'ha'dum."

Casthmatic is nervous, she has heard of horror stories of the ancient homeworld of the race of darkness. "We are on X'ha'dum?"

Mira nods, "Yes the Liberators here also seem friendly, but we learned that the Shadow's do use trickery to get there way, a good example is Mr. Morden whom I talked a little about and John Sheridan's wife, Ana Sheridan who was believed to be dead, so of course we will use extreme caution."

Mira and Incevi look at one another and plan they need to help Casthmatic and Jake for there might be more trouble for them if they leave the protection of the Vorlon vessel. So they tell them that they are going to decode the message so they can see if Casthmatic or Jake can survive outside their ship. As Mira and Incevi touch the walls of the ship they just walk through the wall and out of the ship. As they walk across the wall they force the plasma out of their lungs and proceed towards the C&C deck to find out what is on the Vorlon's mind, and in their language. They enter C&C. "Hello Captain Nanette, Mirra." Says Incevi.

Nanette turns and looks at the mucus covered individuals, she notices that their necks are swollen, but surprised to see them alive, but does not touch them, the light blue ooze could contain an chemical that can cause harm. "Incevi, Mira your alive, thank god we thought we had loss you!"

Mira shakes her head lightly, but is enough to loosen up the ooze to begin to drip off her. "No we were fine, we also got to meet two new members of our crew, their names are Jake and Casthmatic of the CX Valdi, their ship was based partly on Vorlon technology, we were taken into a rather harsh environment filled with plasma."

As Nanette looks at the plasma, she has an idea of how they survived, but she wanted to hear their side of their survival tactics. "Plasma, how did you two survive, it's been nearly two hours since we've lost you two."

Mira looks at Incevi she can't answer right off the bat, the aliens never really told them what advancements they had undergone, only that they now possess one of the most advanced respiratory systems. "I am not sure; we've hoped to get answers from these files," Showing a data crystal. "We had hoped to get it on paper, but the Vorlon's do not have any materials that resemble paper."

Mirra agrees with Mira's reasons of no Vorlon paper. "Yes, Vorlon has three stars that superheats the planet, no foliage can survive on Vorlon."

Nanette looks at Mirra, "Three stars, I thought there were only two stars?"

Mirra reassures, "No the Vorlon Empire has three stars."

Nanette looks back at the grossly wet Asmaraqua and Human. "Then they must be from a different planet."

Incevi plugs in the data crystal, plasma sticks to the console and he tries to break it off but it just spreads all over the console." This is where they're from, a universe of white a that planet is Vorlon" As the methane clouds break the city emerges."

Mira looks at Incevi, "Fast forward to the labs."

The tubes of liquid and bodies line for as long as the eye can see, as Nanette and Mirra watch they are flabbergasted. "In Valen's name, an entire genetic lab on younger races." Say Mirra in disbelief. The scene skips to the Vorlon writing. Arimira who has been watching off in the distance comes closer to look at the text which is Vorlon.

As Mira looks at Arimira she looks at the text, "This is where I need your help Arimira…can you read this?"

Subject 10-19 of Valdi, human origin recovered in 1940 in Stalingrad, Russia and F Frankfort, Germany, identification is Human code 10 taken to Vorlon Empire on secret route to not attract the eye. Been adjusted to breathe most atmospheres and to resuscitate others with artificial organic apparatus. Names are irrelevant test shown that species can survive good on methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, oxygen, and plasma water . Removal of organs to replace with organs suitable to handle other environments which includes, pancreas, lungs, and heart all proven to be infected. Skin treatment finished, two layers of epidermis removed and xeric acid cover to destroy tissue below to stop reproduction of skin cells, implanted cells of Asmaraqua to create a shield against the outside elements. If they die they have a chemical they can release in the form of nerve gas. And if come in contact with other species they take half of the species and give half of there own.

Arimira reads some of the writing. "Some of it, but it does not make since."

Mirra looks at Arimira, interested in what the text says. "Can you at lease try?"

"Well, what I can read it states: Subject 10-19 of Valdi, Human origin recovered in 1940 in Stalingrad, Russia and Frankfort, Germany, identification is Human code 10 taken to Vorlon Empire on secret route to not attract the Eye. Been adjusted to breathe most atmospheres and to resuscitate others with artificial organic apparatus. Names are irrelevant, test shown that species can survive good on methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, oxygen, and plasma water . Removal of organs to replace with organs suitable to handle other environments which includes, pancreas, lungs, and heart all proven to be infected. Skin treatment finished, two layers of epidermis removed and xeric acid cover to destroy tissue below to stop reproduction of skin cells, implanted cells of Asmaraqua to create a shield against the outside elements. If they die they have a chemical they can release in the form of nerve gas. And if come in contact with other species they take half of the species and give half of there own."

Nanette responds. "My god people, they are terraformers, is there a way to stop their transformations?"

Nanette looks at Arimira hopping for at least some good news, Arimira delivers. "Yes, only one word "White"."

Incevi looks confused. "White, what is white?"

Mirra first gives an idea. "Well the Vorlon Empire is."

Arimira interrupts, "No, I don't think so."

Nanette thinks, "Ah—what about Thirdspace?"

They all look at one another dumb founded. Mirra looks at the Vorlon text, "They are the key!"

Nanette nods, "That makes eight of us; we still need to find the last."

Mirra looks at Nanette. "Prophecy will serve its course."

Arimira wraps up the conversation. "Well as long as they don't touch us, we will be fine, so you want us to get them?"

Nanette thinks, they need a delicate environment. "Well they're guest and maybe we can get artificial breathing."

Arimira looks at the request from Nanette awkward. "Why?"

Nanette looks at X'ha'dum. "We are on X'ha'dum, the home world of the Liberators, the most dangerous species of all." Nanette thinks and tells Mira and Incevi to go get them. Mira and Incevi reenters the Vorlon vessel. "Mira and Incevi please go get Jake and Casthmatic."

Mira and Incevi nod and leaves Nanette. As Mira and Incevi walk down the corridor, nervous to reenter, the feeling is weird, the CX Valdi worries Incevi, but as soon as Incevi looks up he gazes upon the CX Valdi, as Mira and Incevi enter the ship, the are still awake and find themselves in the same room they awoke in, as they look around, Incevi want to hurry up, find them and get away as quickly as possible from this vessel. "Jake, Casthmatic, where are you?" Jake comes out to meet Mira and Incevi. "We've have decoded the message, but there is a warning on it," Casthmatic enters. "The transformation on you two was totally life changing…let me explain…when we reviewed the files you were taken by mistake in the Earth year 1940, you Casthmatic came from Stalingrad, Russia and you Jake are from Frankfort, Germany. I find it ironic that you two would be friends even though your countries were at war."

Mira seeming concerned. "Who was winning the war?"

Casthmatic speaks. "The Germans were, the last thing I remembered was that Russia pasted a non-aggression treaty with Germany to prevent the Germany Empire from advancing onto the Motherland." Casthmatic is silent in thoughts and turns to Jake. "Perhaps you might want to answer this one, Jake—as a German who was winning?"

Jake seems nervous, worried he may alter the others thought about him. "Remember the war was years ago, by the way what is this year?"

Mira replies, "The year is 3261."

Jake and Casthmatic look at one another they can't believe they slept that long, but Jake continues. "All right, so it had been—what 1300 years?"

Incevi nods, he's very good with numbers, "Close very close try 1321 years of sleep."

Jake looks at Incevi and then at Casthmatic, "All right, I will then file this under strange, but considering the blunt facts to your question, Germany waged war in 1939 because of Furor Adoft Hitler believed he could make a difference for our country and beside we were a resentful people. When I was born in 1932 as same with Casthmatic; we were in a European depression. Now I came from a proud family line, but after our defeat in World War One my family was begging for food and drinkable water! It was not fair, but off of personal agendas I was drafted to Hitler's Youth at age eight to serve on the might army of all, but I envied my brother who served at age 15 in Hitler's Youth for the mighty ship Bismarck, I never seen the ship sail, but maybe you have, could one of you tell me—what happened to my brother and the Bismarck, did he make it to the Atlantic?"

Mira does not know the answer but Incevi does, and sees fit to let the boy know. "I learned of the mighty Bismarck in school, to be correct—history."

Everyone is looking at Incevi, Incevi is holding back the answer, but Jake presses on. "So what happened?"

Incevi looks up from the ground, Casthmatic, Mira, and Jake already have a bad feeling. "The Bismarck found the Hood of the British fleet!"

Jake presses Incevi to continue, the story eats at him like a fungus on a tree. "And?"

Incevi looks at Jake, there is pity written all over Incevi's face. "The Bismarck fired off eight shots over 15 miles away and struck the ship and sunk it, but with the British mad they all hunted down the Bismarck and fired upon it, the entire ship was a floating blood bath and the smell of fire, flesh, and metal burned the nose. The ship remained afloat and would not sink so the Germans sunk there own ship over 113 survived out of 2,000 men."

Jake looks down, grief-stricken, "I see, and who won the war?"

Incevi answers with no pause. "No one really, all sides lost badly! Japan attacked America, America attacked Germany and Japan, Russia was bombed back to the Stonehenge by Germany in a fight that almost destroyed Russia, it was the year 1945 and the battle was at Stalingrad."

Casthmatic looks up from the ground, surprised to hear her cities name. "Stalingrad, my hometown, what became of it?"

Incevi's face twist, "Rubble, the German's made as you might say—hell with it."

Casthmatic, in her mind pictures Germany filled with swastikas and riches. "And Germany?"

"Russia, Britain, and France set most of the cities aflame, it wasn't till 1945 when the war came to a stand still and things spread out. After World War Two, it wasn't till 2010 when the Third World War happened; some call it the War of Terrorism."

Jake nods, still grief-stricken, "I see, well a thank you should be in proper order, now what is the warning you were about to tell us?"

Incevi informs them, "Well as I had said, the Shadow-Vorlon hybrid decoded the message, it states that you two were programmed to be a weapon against the Shadow's or Hand, you have the capability to contract and at the same time release DNA, we believe it may be caused by mutation over thousand of Earth standard years." Jake is now very worried, as for Casthmatic she only wanted to find a way to cure herself, Mira and Incevi are trying to find a better way to explain the problem. "But there is good news there is a way to end the constant mutation, it is said to go to a place of white, do you know any place of white?"

Casthmatic shakes her head. "No, but there is Vorlon, why can't we just go there?"

Mira replies. "They have a planetary defense system protecting the Vorlon home world, but now you know we need your help, as you may know we are on the Liberators home world X'ha'dum, there atmosphere will kill us if there is an accident, the captain of the Invincible wants you to do what you did to us. You can breathe almost all atmospheres except space itself; we need a back up source if things go wrong."

Jake and Casthmatic look at one another and agree. Jake walks up to Mira. "All right we both agreed to the adjustment, when the hour is up we will tell the ship to adjust all of you, then we will find a way off X'ha'dum."

Incevi turns for a second, but then looks at Jake. "Actually we were welcomed to the city."

Casthmatic looks at them, "And are you going?"

Mira nods, "Yes, if we don't find allies were all dead anyway and geometries tells me that we are in some strange rock bubble with erupting volcanoes gasses and lava, the city is dark, hell I sort of like the place!"

Jake looks at Casthmatic, Mira and Incevi exit the ship, Mira goes to her room to get some rest as Incevi goes to Nanette to tell her what they discussed in the Vorlon ship, Nanette tells Incevi to get some rest and Nanette goes to Arimira, Mirra, and Gram to tell them the news. Once done Nanette goes to the computer console to tell the Liberators they will be out in a few hours, they need some time.


	2. The Shadow’s Of X’ha’dum Part 2

**CHAPTER TWO: The Shadow's Of X'ha'dum, Part 2**

When Nanette finally woke up, she was asleep. She touched the pillow where her mouth was laying on and it was damp by carbon dioxide exhaled gasses from the act of simple respiration, and salivation. Nanette is grossed out by the reality of drooling, she had never drooled, but now she noticed the sore throat, and the swelling of mucus glands. Nanette looks at her watch and sees that she had been asleep for an hour. When she is pulling in information her thought patterns are interrupted by the calling by Mira. "Nanette?"

Wipes the sleep and mucus from her eyes and looks at the com, Nanette orders the com to only receive audio. "Nanette here go."

"This is Mira, were you asleep Nanette?"

Nanette is almost ready to crack a wise one, but decides to leave jokes alone. "Yes, for about an hour."

"So was Gram and Arimira, I haven't heard from Mirra or Incevi."

The com comes on in Mira's room. "This is Mirra; I'm with Incevi, is everyone all right?"

Nanette hears the com. "Nice to hear you Mirra, if you see anyone else, tell them to prepare to exit ship."

Mirra complies. "Yes I will inform Incevi. Mirra out."

The com goes out, Nanette looks at her com, the only one on it is Mira. "Better get ready, we leave in five minutes."

The com goes off, Mira has a tendency to leave in mid-conversation. Jake and Casthmatic enter the bridge where Mira and Nanette are. As Casthmatic looks at Nanette, she is glad to see people again. "Hello."

Nanette turns to look at to individuals covered in the plasma that covered Incevi and Mira, as Nanette looks at the goo in is light blue, as Nanette clears her mouth it too emits a lightly bluish-white fluid. As Nanette notices this, she wipes it off on her vest and looks at her guest and sports a smile to welcome them. "Oh, hello, you must be Jake and Casthmatic; I am Nanette, Former captain of the Invincible."

Jake nods, "Yes we know, we have gave all you advanced respiratory systems, it was a strain on the Vorlon ship, but it will survive…now is it true that we are going to find these Liberators?"

Nanette thinks to herself, so that is what caused my drooling, but ushers away that though to comply with the question. "Yes it is, the Liberators have greeted us and as it looks we have no chance of escape from X'ha'dum, so we should make contact."

Jake, Casthmatic, and Arimira seem worried. As Nanette gets up, in comes the other, they are already suited up and ready to make the trek, and Nanette zips up her suit, she hand one to Casthmatic and one to Jake. As they put their suits on, they all walk towards the airlocks. Mirra unlocks to security lockdown codes and as the group of nine put on their breathers, Nanette unlocks the airlock doors, and as the door opens Arimira, Nanette, Mirra, Gram, Mira, Incevi, Jake, and Casthmatic walk outside in the hostile environment. The feeling of the atmosphere is thick and it is very hot, as they step onto the planet X'ha'dum the ground moves, they all move violently back to the ship. As they look outside the ship they see spidery figures moving towards them. They try not to panic, but their fear is calmed when the Liberator greets them again. So with patients they move from the protection of the ship and enter a large pillar. As they walk in, the place is dimly lighten, they watch Shadow's working everywhere, but the design of the building is smooth and clean unlike Z'ha'dum. As there trek ends they walk over a sky bridge over a 360 circle of lava fall and on the other side a water fall which makes a lot of water vapor over this bridge, as Incevi whispers to Nanette, he calls this place the gate way to hell! But as they walk through the vapor they enter in a glass dome surrounded by water and at the top is a bright light about 30 thousand feet up. "**Welcome, this is where we take all over visitors, of course many don't come.**" Mirra walks forward. "**Please don't come closer…it's for over security. We only want to welcome you to X'ha'dum. So tell us this, do you know about the planet Z'ha'dum?**"

Mirra looks not directly at the Shadow, not wanting to make eye contact with its eyes. "Z'ha'dum, you speak of the planet of chaos!"

The eight new comers look confused at one another. "**What do you mean?**"

Mirra continues, "The inhabits of Z'ha'dum were upset of the failure of the Great War so they wanted to form a union of destruction and chaos, they wanted revenge!"

The Shadow's contest the argument. "**But we conspired to the use of the Epsilon grid to help find a new home world, Z'ha'dum's cities were all destroyed by the Vorlon's, the other first ones and a few of the younger races. So with help we found this place and named it X'ha'dum, the "x" stands for neutral space. Here we would isolate ourselves from others to build our great cities once again, of course we were beaten in the Great War so we built a massive fleet of the old fleet in the Great War and upgraded our planet to be dead looking, now you know our side—tell us yours!**"

Nanette walks forward to the position of Mirra. "Incevi and I come from Earth, or what is left of it."

The Shadow's clearly do not know of the current present times. "**What do you mean?**"

Nanette continues. "Well after the last Shadow war in 2261, Z'ha'dum was attacked by one ship carrying two thermal nuclear bombs into the Shadow's major capital city of Z'ha'dum and this gave time to prepare the younger races to fight the Shadow's and Vorlon's."

The Shadow's seemed to remember the Vorlon's. "**Vorlon's, you were enemies of the Vorlon's—why?**"

Nanette wonders if being enemies of the Vorlon's makes then potential allies, or if it is just one of a thousand questions these Shadow's are going to ask. "We only declared war against the Vorlon Empire because they were destroying entire worlds with their planet killers and when the Shadow's allies were being destroyed the Shadow's sent out there Shadow Clouds to destroy entire planets."

The Shadow's look at one another in disbelief. "**No wonder why you're scared of us, but why come to X'ha'dum and how did you know it existed?**"

Nanette thinks for a second then continues, "Well that's the second half, after all the present first ones went beyond the rim they blew up Z'ha'dum leaving their two main allies behind, the Shrib and the Drakh."

"**Drakh, we've have heard of that name before—ah—that's right the once creation of the Vorlon's.**"

Nanette nods, but is then shocked, caught off guard, she did not know the Drakh were creations of the Vorlon's. "The Vorlon's created the Drakh also?"

"**Also, you mean there are others?**"

Nanette notices that the Shadow's clearly do not know about the younger races, or they would notice the hybrids. But Mirra takes control of this question. "Yes we know that in 2161 the first telepath came from Vorlon and the first genetic changed happened to one person named Valen over 1000 years previous to the Shadow War of 2261. Thus Valen married a human whose race had no existence for the next 10 years and they created the term "Child of Valen", a hybrid of half Human half Minbari, her name was Delenn she died after the creation of the Grey Council, but she returned in 2230 under the family of Mir, her name was Delenn. In 2259 she transformed herself into a hybrid to convince the Grey Council of you people's return thus she had a male and female child and they have a male child and a female and this created me, my name is Delenn 3 Mirra Mir of Minbar."

"**I see and you were made of Vorlon?**"

Mirra shakes his head. "No, of Minbari."

"**All right, well I suppose that is only the haunting past. Well have a seat; the council is awaiting our explanations to why you're here.**"As the darkness lights up then a table with nine Liberators, nine seats appear in front of the guest and all eight take a seat."**So who is in charge of the vessel that brought you here?**"

Nanette speaks. "I am, we were manned by a crew of two thousand staff all killed on Space Station Altavice"

"**So how did you and the others survive?**"

Nanette looks at Incevi, "Only Incevi and I were alive of the original crew. I was under the watch of two Vorlon's, as Mr. Incevi was hidden away in a tight space in the ship called security. After the Hand killed the prisoners mentally they strangely left us alone but we figured they would be back. So we made a risky jump into Shadow space and we found a massive fleet asleep then we finally jumped into your space. Then the CX Valdi jumped and was destroyed by your weaponry. Our defense grid was damaged and we lost Shadow skin." Nanette thinks awhile on what the Shadow Council said. "You said that others have been here?"

"**Yes, once, the vessel arrived here almost 1351 years ago. It was taken from Vorlon Empire, the vessel had a malfunction in the engines and blew up, but only ten live pods were fired off, and nine were fried, one barely remained intact. We hurried to isolate the gasses to preserve the life form, we studied it and begun to learn how it lived, we made our Northern City from its memory and formed a basic government. So who are these Hands?**"

Nanette continues hoping this will be the last question. "The Hand is an ancient enemy of everyone's, the Race of Darkness, the Shadow's and Vorlon's worked together to lock away the Hand into a place of eternal darkness called Thirdspace. As we know, the Hand vessels are literally invincible."

"**Invincible—no everything can be destroyed. You let the ancient enemy out?**"

Nanette shakes her head. "No, it was the gate that did."

"**But state your purpose!**"

Nanette takes a deep breath. "We need to find the nine we are missing one."

"**We already know, we made that myth up and even convinced the Vorlon's to believe it, if they knew it was all true the universe would panic and billions will die!**"

Mira noticed the ninth chair—empty. "So you knew all along, if you are prophet then tell us, where is the ninth?"

"**Patient my friend, we know who you all are, that's why we brought you here, to learn the truth. The Vorlon's and us were to act as watchmen—watching for the return of these Hands, of course we called them "the race of forgetfulness". We were to remain to protect you all**"

Nanette looks at the Shadow's, "Well it's too late for that, the Hand are ripping up the galaxy."

"**Maybe not, we have the ninth and last.**"

A child being escorted by four Shadow's surprised the other eight. Expecting to be dressed in black he was dressed it white, his skin was white and clear of scars, blemishes, or anything darker then white. The hair is grayish white. The eyes are the only dark colors, a deep blue. As he walks closer he stops only a few feet away. Nanette looks at the young child wondering if this is a trick, for it can't be this easy! "What's your name child?"

The child looks at the Liberator for help. "**Go on and answer them.**"

The child looks at the eight. "My name is Iris Ulleskesh Ishermaaltabrutle.

The look on there faces are confused, Nanette looks at the other, only Iris is the only name they understood." Ah—do you have a nickname?"

Iris is confused, "What is a nickname?"

Nanette thinks of a definition. "Ah—an easier name to pronounce."

Iris smiles and quickly answers. "Oh I see, on Earth they just called me Iris."

Nanette smiles and looks at Iris. "All right so we will just call you Iris, but where did you get the other two names?"

Iris continues, "Well Ulleskesh comes from my Vorlon master who altered me, and Ishermaaltabrutle is a respective title from the Liberators, the one's who live here!"

Mirra looks at the purity of this child, it seems unnatural, robotic like. "So what are you?"

Iris looks at the Liberators again as if seeking permission, they telepathically agree. "They say to me that I am a hybrid of three species, but two are genetically tied. It is half Minbari, 1/3 Asmaraqua, and 1/3 Human—who are you?"

Nanette looks at Iris. "My name is Nanette, the captain of the Invincible, my friend is Incevi, and he is our security officer. Next is Gram and Mira from Anterian, the one over by the entrance is Delenn 3rd Mirra Mir. The other two are from the Vorlon homeworld there names are Jake and Casthmatic."

Iris nods looking at all, then focuses on Nanette, "I see, and you must be all the nine?"

Nanette looks at Incevi, then looks at Iris, "Well if you join it will be nine and then we go to Thirdspace."

Iris nods, "Yes, only if you have the correct nine."

Nanette looks concern, how does Iris know all this? "The correct?"

Iris replies, "If you do not have the correct nine the entire crew will pay the price."

Nanette is unsure what Iris is entitling. "What do you mean crew, and what is the punishment?"

Iris points at all of them. "I have contacted the secret forces that have been waiting for this time, they find it as an honor to serve to the death, but they rather live."

Nanette looks at Iris no longer as a simple child, their is more to this child then meets the eye! "How many?"

Iris thinks of the number, "Only 100, they are on the only planet in Sigma 957."

Incevi interrupts Iris, he does not trust the Shadow spawn. "Sigma 957, wait a minute that is where the Hands jump gate is to Thirdspace."

Iris replies back at Incevi's reply. "I know, but they are important, very skilled in single topics—like a research crew."

Nanette looks at Incevi who is sitting right next to her, "Okay now that does not sound to bad!"

Iris chimes in with some more news. "There is more to this travel, if one of you are not the nine everyone will pay the price."

Incevi looks at Iris, "How?"

Iris thinks for a second, "The jump gate is super powered to aloud fast travel, but the mortal flesh can not handle the energy therefore we would mix together, the ratio is 1 to 1, so worse case is if lets say Jake was not the one and Delenn 3rd Mirra Mir and Nanette were closes all would be balanced; so Delenn 3rd Mirra Mir what would be your genetic makeup?"

Mirra looks at Iris, he does not understand. "First just call me only Mirra and I am half Human half Minbari."

Iris looks at Nanette. "And Nanette?"

Nanette looks at Iris, "Half Human and half Asmaraqua."

Iris then looks at Jake. "And you Jake?"

Jake thinks, he is really not sure of what he is becoming. "Just human—of the moment with some Anterian."

Iris nods, "Okay so what would happen is genetic passive is when the process can't happen twice in one year but with the species laid out the mathematics spell this 50 percent is Human, 25 percent is Minbari, and 25 percent is Asmaraqua, so makeup would look sort of like this—ah what are characteristics of Minbari and Asmaraqua's?"

Mirra replies, "Minbari have a crest bone" touching the bone on his head, "arm plates; no sweat glands."

Iris has enough information of the Minbari. "Thank you Mirra, now anyone knows the Asmaraqua characteristics?"

Mira replies, "I was born on Anterian, my people can breathe underwater, and we have gills inside our respiratory system. We have petrol, dorsal, and wrist fins. A hybrid body is covered 50 percent of scales a regular Asmaraqua is covered 75 percent of scales. The main characteristic is the born structure over the face."

Iris has enough information of the Asmaraqua that he can only imagine the result species would be quite freaky looking! "Thank you Mira, so as the figures build up the new make up would be scales, crest bone, hair, and fins."

Incevi is growing restless, "This is interesting but only speculation."

Iris looks at the individual, he has forgotten his name. "You're?"

"My name is Incevi."

Iris looks at Incevi and a strange nausea comes over him, but Iris ignores it, it usually occurs because of his genetic mutation. "Nice to meet you Incevi." Iris looking at the Liberators. "I am ready to go."

The Shadow Council whispers to themselves and looks at Iris. "**If it's your desire—go, if it's your mission—lead, if it's your want—pursue it, if it's your obligation—be your best.**"

Iris bows and looks at the Shadow Council._ "_Thank you honored council."

The spikiest looking Liberator rises, as the other eight remain seated. "**Under the council's approval we give Iris to you, he is your responsibility, your health, and your life. If any oppose then say Na—**"

Silence"**As it stands Iris Ulleskesh Ishermaaltabrutle you are relieved of X'ha'dum to the nine's vessel Invincible, only one demand!**"

Nanette speaks. "Yes?"

"**You must all rest, you will go to Northern City, Iris you will guide them there to your home rest for eleven standard Earth hours, eat and leave**"

Nanette nods, "Yes council."

The light dims out and the council is gone, standing alone is the newly formed nine. Nanette looks at her now adopted child, she never imagined ever adopting an alien, mostly from the universes greatest enemy. "So Iris why don't you take us to the Northern City?"

Iris looks at Nanette, "Sure follow me." As the nine walk through the plasma walls the sights once again are frightened, steam rising over the path as lava meets with water. As they walk through they go through a wall out of the major city. As they walk through rock it seems to go on forever. As the end is in sight they exit the tunnel and they are on a parchment to see a city of stone, bluish purple plasma and what appears to be water. This must be the source of the waterfalls. And the knowledge of these Liberators makes us think twice of their violent past. The sounds are of low pitch chimes of a hellish tone, a tone of shear terror. The smell is of musty—stagnate water, but that's impossible there is no source of known sunlight, but maybe the UV rays cause the water to smell like a steamy swamp. The heat in this area is humid, only about 97 degrees from the lava flows on the other side of the rock wall that separates beauty over hell. As they descend into this bluish purple city the smell dissipates and the heat is turned to cold. It is a giant thunderbird egg! Thick crystals with giant monoliths that carry giant objects like the ship Invincible. It is like the dark side of Minbar. As they arrive to a small building the nine descend into the glassy building and as Nanette lights a candle given to her by Iris something strange happens to the light, it is amplified and reflected, not captured by the rock! This again is a major difference of Z'ha'dum and X'ha'dum, how does it work? As they keep descending the hall gets bigger. The size dwarfs Nanette's little candle, but Iris assures that that light can light the entire building and the other eight are skeptical. "I assure you all that that light can light this entire building."

Nanette looks at the small dinky candle. "Not to be rude Iris, but I am skeptical of that!"

Iris turns and looks at Nanette. "Skepticism is the language of the mind, what does your heart tell you Nanette?"

Nanette at first says nothing but then questions Iris again. "What do you want me to do with this candle?"

Iris point to the small slot on the wall. "Just put it on the crystal slot over there."

Nanette looks at the small hole, "Sure." Nanette wondering if this is a weapon walks nervously over to a small circular slot and carefully not as to break the candle places it in the slot. At first nothing happens, but then the light reflects off the crystal and begins a chain reaction the walls are made to bounce light rays and the entire room is a light bluish purple glow. "Remarkable illusion your friends created!"

Iris looks at the light. "It's all about ideology Nanette!"

Nanette looks at the candle. "Ideology—exactly!"

As they look at one another they relax. As the time goes by dinner is served and they are sitting around a table, it was the first time the nine except Iris has had a hot meal. The food was remarkable, almost like everything they liked. "This looks great Iris, but how did you know our interests?"

Iris looks at Mira. "The Eye had made a scan of all of you to make sure you weren't hostile. The ones who live here only want your comfort, it's bad to treat guest wrong when they have not seen younger races for over 1351 years."

Incevi looks at Iris, he is still uncomfortable about Iris. "If you're so knowledgeable and old by what--1351 years, why are you still young?"

Iris looks at Incevi. "The Liberators as you call them at first did not have advanced technology to support Human or hybrid life so they had to learn, so I remained in cryonic freeze for awhile, once and awhile I would be waken to be tested with experiments, we younger races had much complex bodies then the first ones."

Incevi has another question. "Did the Liberators ever talk about a person named Lorien?"

Iris thinks of the name. "Lorien, oh yes many times, they resent him, but also respect him, you see Lorien is the first of the first."

Nanette looks up from her plate. "The first of the first, I don't understand, there is no records."

Iris smiles, "Of course not it probably died on Babylon 5 with Captain John J. Sheridan. The ones who live here don't consider Lorien as a great guy. So the ones of Z'ha'dum went to find Lorien and put him down there till he was needed. I suppose that was Mr. Sheridan, the one who died then came alive?"

Arimira interrupts the conversation. "Was it a myth?"

Nanette answers, probably knowing the best answer. "Well according to Mirra and Iris, it is not."

Mirra looks at everyone, "Well if it makes any of you feel better I am the third generations of great-great-great grandfather Sheridan, first name John."

Mira looks at Mirra, "You're related to John Sheridan?"

Mirra looks at Mira and nods, "In bloodline, yes."

Incevi is boarded. "As interesting as it sounds, what do we do now?"

They look at one another, Nanette leads Incevi's question. "Ah—well we go to Sigma 957 to the planet, pick up the crew and pray to God we survive in one piece."

Incevi looks at Nanette, "Ah—well—how do we leave here?"

Nanette is not sure why Incevi is acting so rudely, "By the way you came..." Nanette beeper goes off. "What the" She whispers, "ah something has came up, I need to go back to the ship, Incevi please stay with the others, Iris can you guide me to my ship?"

Iris stands up. "Sure, follow me."

Nanette and Iris stand up and move towards the entrance, but Incevi calls out to her. "Is everything all right?"

Nanette looks at Incevi, for some reason something does not seem right about him at this moment. "Yes Incevi, I just forgot to report to my quarters to receive orders, nothing more."

Iris and Nanette go outside to the docking bay and Nanette and Iris go inside the Invincible. Iris looks at the ship amazed by the reality of the vessel. As Nanette near her quarters she is considering if she should let Iris in, the Knowledge could hurt him, but she figured if he was to be part of the crew she was going to have to trust him. "Now Iris, only a handful know most of the truth of this mission, I was driven to Sigma 957 by an outside force, and the truth lies behind this door, I need your word and honor to remain silent till the correct time."

Iris nods, "Sure, on Vorlon I was programmed not to lie, so if the truth is in that room, it will remain with me till my death, or I will be dead if I lie."

Nanette looks at Iris, "Minbari rules."

Iris nods, "Minbari rules, I don't understand?"

Nanette looks at Iris, why would any creature create another creature and not tell them who they are? "You don't know the culture of your genetics?"

Iris looks at the door then at Nanette. "No, the Vorlon's don't care about culture of your genetics?"

Nanette whispers in relief of her own trials of Vorlon's. "No, the Vorlon's don't care about culture it is one of there biggest downfalls." Nanette looks at Iris, and before she opens the doors she asks the question, "and what is your feeling about the Vorlon's?"

Iris thinks and as he looks at Nanette, his face is emotionless as if an program shuts down all though when that question comes up. "I don't have one I was created on Vorlon."

Nanette looks at this with caution. "I thought you told the Shadow Council you were born on Earth?"

Iris looks, he knows Nanette is catching on. "The truth there you did not need to know, if I told you that I was born on Vorlon would you treat me as you do now?"

Nanette is not sure who to trust anymore. "I don't know, but you did lie!"

Iris shakes his head. "No, saved my honor, you would good chance have a negative view of me."

Nanette looks at Iris's confusion on identity. "To tell you the truth Iris, you know Jake and Casthmatic are also from the Vorlon Empire?"

Iris looks at this new information with surprise. "No I did not, where?"

Nanette looks at the door as if expecting it to open. "I do not know, we only found them when the Liberator defense grid destroyed the vessel CX Valdi."

Iris looks at the ground. "I see, well I suppose there are more to expect then I had expected of you."

Nanette is wondering. "What you said about you being here on X'ha'dum is that true?"

Iris looks up, "Oh yes, most," Iris looks change where he is troubled, "you see Nanette when the Shadow's and Vorlon's of Vorlon and Z'ha'dum left the entire universe, the Vorlon Empire homeworld was shut down except for supports to keep the planet stable, but the ones here came to Vorlon before the defense grid could come on, they took some things."

Nanette looks at the clothing Iris is wearing, it is not of the Vorlon Empire on Z'ha'dum, or X'ha'dum as she knows. "But why you?"

Iris looks at the door, "The Shadow Council knew you would be coming, they know about the Hand; they are much older than the ones of Z'ha'dum."

Nanette thinks to herself. "Now it makes sense!"

Iris looks up and smiles, "Yes, I'm glad for you, I was hoping you would understand."

Nanette looks at the door. "Are you ready to go?"

Iris looks at Nanette. "To the truth, yes indeed with secretly!"

Nanette pushes the button and slides her card in the security slot. "Then lets go in." As the door opens they walk in.

Back in Iris's home the other seven are eating, Casthmatic, Mira, and Arimira are talking together in a little group as for Mirra, Gram and Jake they still are eating their meal, but as for Incevi he is worried and does not trust Iris, he does not trust Shadow's good or bad. "Incevi?" Says Mirra.

Incevi looks up from the food, "Yes Delenn 3rd Mirra Mir?"

Mirra looks at Incevi, "Just call me Mirra, and what's wrong, you have been jumpy since Nanette and Iris left and I don't have to be a Minbari to know that Incevi."

Incevi looks at Mirra's pity. "Sorry for my attitude Delenn 3rd Mirra Mir" Mirra gives a plea look to his name, "but I just don't trust the Shadow's or trust the Liberators."

Mirra backs Incevi into a corner. "So you don't trust Arimira or Gram?"

Incevi looks to the side, "No, they're different Mirra they ushered their service to us."

Mirra interrupts Incevi, "So has Iris, Incevi you need to trust or you will hurt yourself."

Incevi gets up and walks into another empty room. Mirra follows. "You can't change my mind Mirra, Iris is bad news…now leave—let me be alone Mirra."

Mirra stops at the door, "All right Incevi, if that's what you want Incevi, but I came to you first Incevi."

Incevi yells, most of the others hear it, but pay no mind. "Leave me alone!"

Mirra feels there is something horribly wrong with Incevi. As for Incevi he sits on the wall alone. Back on the Invincible, Nanette and Iris have entered the room; it is dark, but no odor for space vessels use a recycling air system. The door closes and the bright light dissipates into blackness, in relevance it is dark. As Nanette looks around, Iris is confused of Nanette's actions and wonders where is this truth? Nanette is just looking—looking for the source of information, but does not find it. As they wait, waiting for something to happen something moves then comes out of the darkness. "Kosh?" Says Nanette. The Vorlon is in twilight, but its color is blue. "Ulkesh Kosh?" Says Nanette in shock. Iris looks in terror.

"**YES?**"

Nanette looks for Kosh Nanarke, "Where's your friend?" He does not answer back. "This is Iris, come forward Iris, this is the truth."

Iris walks slowly to Nanette's side, but Iris does not take his eyes off the Vorlon. "That's a Vorlon!"

Nanette looks down and nods as she places her hands on his shoulders, the coolness of Iris outfit is surprising for the igneosis environment in which Iris lives in, but regarding the silky outfit, she hold Iris who is trembling at the sight of his mutator. "Correct Iris, this is a Vorlon he and his friend Kosh Nanarke saved my life, I trust them."

The second Vorlon comes out its Kosh Nanarke. "**IRIS.**"

Iris turns around. "Kosh, master."

Iris gets behind Nanette, this Vorlon of all frightens him, as Nanette looks at the frighten child, she turns to look at Iris who hides in Nanette shadows. "Iris what are you doing?" Iris does not answer, he is too frighten. "Kosh, what is Iris to you?" Kosh Nanarke does not answer either. "Okay some one better make since!"

The blue Vorlon, Ulkesh Kosh approaches. "**HE IS RESOURCE, A TOOL.**"

Nanette freezes in pure anger and understanding to why Iris cowards at these creatures. "I don't understand?"

The other Vorlon, Kosh Nanarke speaks. "**GOOD.**"

Iris slowly emerges out of Nanette's shadow, he looks at the Vorlon and then turns to face Nanette who is the utmost confused. "You don't understand because you don't understand the forces at work. I was taken yes from Earth in 2010, but was reshaped by the Vorlon's; my every once of flesh, bone, and fluid has been reterraformed to there needs, sterilization of purity it was the only way Vorlon's were going to let me live. I am a hybrid yes, but to your eyes you see what was my Human form."

Nanette looks at Iris worried she will see this horrifying creature, sort of like the Earth myth of the creature Sauron, a shape shifter who can make himself beautiful and attractive even though he is a horrifying disfigured creature. "So what is your origin now?"

As Nanette gazes upon Iris, she still sees the same, Iris looks at Nanette. "Hybrid of Human and Asmaraqua, but the Vorlon's made a problem."

Nanette looks up at the Vorlon's. "A problem," Nanette says as she looks at both Kosh Nanarke and Ulkesh Kosh, "what type?"

Iris lifts up the white robe to his uppermost part of his arm, and it is blotchy with scales mixed with flesh. "The hybrid process was not completed it was half done."

Nanette looks at the disconformities on Iris' flesh. "Logically isn't suppose to be that way?"

Iris nods, "Yes logically, but genetically it now causes pain!"

Nanette looks at Iris and ushers his eyes to meet with hers, possibly one of his greatest weaknesses, even as she has him look at he still can't look at her directly, this is because the hybriding caused the nerve ending in Iris' brain to make him develop an artificial autism, this is part of the pain. As Nanette sees this, she knows, her own children were autistic due to minerals in the area when she was pregnant on Earth. As Nanette looks it is horrifying to see this occurring to another child. "Look at me Iris" Iris' eyes correct and is much better, but not completely looking at Nanette, but Iris does not notice. "So why are you dependent on me?"

As Iris looks at the Vorlon's, and then looks at the disconformities developing in him, he looks back at Delenn, much better this time then the first, but still showing the characteristics of being autistic. "I need you to take me into Thirdspace, there the process can be completed and you yourself had to make a transformation, which you too haven't finished. Now we can go to Thirdspace to stop the Hand and to cure my pain."

Nanette looks at this situation. "I see, but you did not tell why me?"

Iris knows of what he was in the past, and the same creature that liberated him from it created a much more painful disorder. "The Vorlon's made an error, but then realize it to be necessary to travel...Nanette I am autistic...I was autistic until the Vorlon's found me, but the process I had to undergo, and now this, I would rather be my normal self, even if I would not be normal...but then again, look at me...I am a hybrid...an becoming autistic freak!"

Nanette is spell bound, the first view she saw of Iris she did not see any disorder or freakiness, it is because Iris aloud himself to be taken to become normal and instead the Vorlon's screwed up and now the mutation that created him is taking over, and because of his falling self-esteem it is alluding the disease to return, this is certainly more then even Nanette ever imagine. "Well, okay, now why was I sent Kosh?"

The Vorlon's paying no attention to Iris or Nanette's argument finally takes siege to the opportunity. The brown Vorlon, Kosh Nanarke glides forwards. "**TO PREPARE.**"

Nanette emotionally worked up, almost forgot the Hand situation. "To prepare me for what?"

The brown Vorlon does not reply, instead the blue one, Ulkesh Kosh does.** "X'HA'DUM HAS OPEN AN UNEXPECTED DOOR.**" As referring to the return of Iris, and the awaking of the Liberator's.

Nanette does not know the Vorlon's mean Iris, but the only thought that comes to mind is the great enemy. "The Liberators?"

"**YES.**" Says Kosh Nanarke.

Nanette can not see how the Liberator's could have been one of the universes most feared species, they seemed nicer then the Shadow's, except for, the Shadow's never gave her, and made her the mother of a nine year old boy who is becoming more and more autistic by the hour and to top it off his body is transforming into a multilayered species and that transformation is making him become autistic quicker...the one thing Nanette really hates is puzzles, mostly when they become personal like the one with Iris. "There's no threat, they have welcomed us, we spoke with them, ventured within their cities and most of all were granted to leave by tomorrow."

"**IRRELEVANT—DANGER.**" The blue Vorlon turn and glides slowly away from the presence of Nanette, Iris, and Kosh Nanarke.

Nanette turns and looks at Kosh Nanarke, "So Kosh, you tell me why I was sent!" The Vorlon just stands there watching. Nanette is becoming erratic. "All right—never mind, tell me latter like when it is too late!"

Nanette walks out of the room, but Kosh Nanarke figures to speak. "**WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT CALL OUT OF THE DARKNESS.**"

Nanette turns with Kosh Nanarke almost in her face; Iris turns to face Kosh Nanarke. "What?" There is no reply from Kosh Nanarke. "I see, but call out of what?"

"**THE DARKNESS…IS CLOSE!**"

Nanette is now once again confused. "What is the darkness you speak of?"

"**GO NOW.**"

Nanette turns around fact to view Ulkesh Kosh. Kosh Nanarke speaks after Ulkesh short two-word statement. "**GO, GO BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!**"

Nanette turns around to face the door and rushes out of it. Her curiosity and fear overwhelms her actions to the ballistics of the two Vorlon's. Iris walks in a fast pace with Nanette as they head back to Iris's house on X'ha'dum, but Iris is not feeling well, nausea to the stomach with cold sweats running down his forehead and back, then the pain is so urgent that he falls to his feet screaming as he grabs hold of his own skin as if he was on fire. When Nanette is alarmed she rushes to his aide, but his shape or form was not staying exactly solid his skin shafting liquefying tearing apart as if an virus was killing him. As Nanette touched him currents of electricity current throughout her body paralyzing her for a moment. It was as if Iris's body was completely fluxing under pressure of two personalities and as fast as it started it ended. "Iris are you all right?"

As Iris lies on the ground it takes him awhile to sum up the words to speak with, as he looks at his arms, the scales have moved down his arm, and as he faces Nanette, scales cover the shadow of the eyes, and as pain runs down his back He touches his back to feel his spine, it has swelled up forming a sensitive ridge. As Nanette looks at it, she does not know what to say. As Iris looks at Delenn, the almost perfect eye to eye contact has become a thing of the past. He can't control where he looks without any guidance. "Yes I will be fine, and you all right?"

Nanette does not know how to respond, what happens if this happens again, does he grow a crest bone, sprout gills and fins, or worse become a Shadow or those pesky Vorlon's? Nanette's mind is filled with billions of question, and everything can't be summed to words, sort of like he own children. "I am doing fine Iris, what happened to you?"

Iris is beginning to gain control and almost has his autism hidden again. "That was the Vorlon's mistake that you saw."

Nanette still feels the energy that was passed from Iris to her...hoping it has no affect as she rubs the numb out of her hands. "What is it?"

Iris looks at his hands, "Two energies fighting to take control of my body, it does not know that it is to get along with the other DNA. That is why it is important to get to Thirdspace, the energy there will correct the mistake the Vorlon's made, that is why I want to go soon before the flux get too urgent and mutates me where I can't become 'fixed'."

Iris gets up, he is covered in sweat, not one inch of his clothes is not covered in sweat, and also his complexion has changed—younger. Nanette notices this change but did not attempt to suggest her thoughts. As they reach the house the other seven meet them and notice Iris's damp clothes. Mirra is the first to comment. "What happened to Iris?"

Nanette pacts up her stuff. "We need to get off X'ha'dum now."

Mirra watches in sheer confusion, so does the others. "That's what I was trying to tell all of you!"

Nanette looks at Iris who is sitting at the table clicking an antique pen over and over again. As Nanette watches, she breaks the trance he is in, the others are confused, Iris has changed since they last saw him about and hour ago. It takes Nanette awhile to get out of the pattern Iris is creating, the steady sound, soothing, comforting...it finally dawns what Iris meant that she like him needed to get to Thirdspace, she is also becoming autistic, and now it is speeding up due to the contact she had with Iris, or worse, the energy that is met morphing Iris is now in her. As she touches Iris, it is like a rude awaking. "can you Iris tell the Liberators about this urgency?"

Iris notices the embarrassment and it enables him to gain complete control, it seems for him his autism takes over when he becomes frighten. As for Nanette, when she becomes bored. "Yes I will--."

"**There is nothing you have to tell us, we were listening to all the conversations and yes you must leave—leave now, we will see you beyond the rim if you don't kill yourselves or one another in a dishonorable ways.**" The Liberators voice dissipates.

Nanette looks at the other, first up is actually Mirra, ever since her encounter with Incevi, she just wants to go to her room to meditate, but now as she watches Nanette, she notices that she too has changed, becoming more memortive. "Lets go now!" Say Mirra.

Nanette nods, "Yes I agree, we have a mission to complete."

The nine are on the Invincible and once Nanette and Mirra take their post on the bridge of C&C they activate the vessel for take off. As the vessel lifts off the environment around them shivers as the engines creates heat in forms of clear waves. As the ship rises the volcanic landscape comes back into view and Nanette and Mirra are wondering where they will go. As they hover over the small city the tracking beam captures the ship and the vessel begins to move towards the volcanic ash column, closer to the column the ship shakes more. As the ship passes through the volcanic ash cloud, Iris comes on the bridge. Iris has never been this high in the atmosphere of X'ha'dum and has never been this high while awake; Iris is worried to go through the violent cloud! As they finally pass through the ash cloud they reenter the atmosphere of the planet of X'ha'dum, Nanette notices that this is not the same side of the planet, where they had entered they were facing the planet, now they face the reddish yellow nebula. As Nanette tries to calculate the distance to where they have entered the space, but as they panic the Liberators talk to them. "**Do not worry, go straight for one mile and use jump gate sequence into hyperspace, wait two minutes and then jump, you'll be at Sigma 957—good luck!**"

Nanette replies on the com. "Thank you for your help."

"**Yes it was an honor; once you've entered Thirdspace send off the high frequency, we will assist your war with the Hand.**"

Nanette presses the com button once again._ "_Thank you very much; we will need your help."

The giant Eye disappears. As the Invincible nears towards the one-mile postmark they jump into hyperspace leaving the plasma filled environment into hyperspace. Nanette looks at Iris and smiles. "Welcome to your beginning and probably your end if we don't get the upper hand on the Hand."

Iris now completely under control of himself looks at Nanette, the scales under his eyes reflect the fleshes of the monitors on the bridge. "Well I will remember to call you if I need to be depressed."

Mirra watches the monitor as it sounds off. "We have reached our designation Captain Nanette."

Nanette looks at Mirra, "Good jump and be alert Mirra, the Hand are out there."

As the Invincible jumps into regular space there is a blue beam of light that hits Invincible and the ship loses power and begins it's descend to Sigma 957. As Nanette, Mirra, and Iris fall forward to the ground they climb up to their chairs, but as Nanette looks at Mirra he lies on the floor knocked out by the fall. Iris rushes to Mirra to help him, but Nanette tells Iris that he is needed at the navigations control; Iris is hesitant but does as he is told. As Iris looks at the switches, buttons, and pictures he is confused on how to operate the machine, so he calls for Nanette's assistance. Nanette rushes over holding the railing as the planets surface is coming into view. As for Arimira, she is also knocked out when the sudden impact thrashed her forward and she in result hit her head. Casthmatic and Jake who were in the mess hall staying out of trouble are thrown out of their chairs and to the floor, as Casthmatic tries to get to Jake, the cabinet falls over onto Casthmatic's legs pinning her down. Jake is trying not to be smashed by the advancing table. Incevi who was in the security office was the smart one; he had strapped himself to his chair and is violently being thrashed side to side. Mira, who was in the Med Lab was also lucky, she just dodged a tray of needles and knives, but fell down on a tipped over med bed. Gram is located in the engine room, enough said, but he is probably feeling he is on a boat with explosives shooting off all around him for this is where the blue energy beam hit. And last but lease in Nanette's quarters the two Vorlon's fall over very mad! Back on the bridge Nanette is programming the vessel for a emergency landing, but the systems does not respond so Nanette overrides the system and programs the ship to land in a crashing sort of way. As the thrusters pull the ships descend the shaking is much harsher now and the whiplash sends a metal beam about the size of Nanette's scaly hand crashing down on Iris, but killing the navigation console! As the ship crashes and stops Nanette removes Iris from the seat and places his dead like body on the floor by Mirra. As Nanette calls Mira, Mira crawls to her console, as she opens the channel, Nanette can't see Mira, the visual is blocked by debris, but Mira clears the debris. "Nanette go ahead." Said Mira.

Nanette being thrashed around and watching in horror as the ground approaches looks at the com as she tries to gain control over the ship. A strike to the engines should have not blown the navigation, but it has oddly enough. "Mira I need you up to the bridge ASAP, Mirra and Iris are badly injured, head contact."

Mira who has minor lacerations to her head replies. "Head contact to Mirra?"

Nanette looks at the landscape is coming in view. "Yes, why?"

Mira pleads for a location when Nanette should be more concern about the crash, but with no navigation, the Invincible is one gigantic rock. "Where?" Nanette crawls to Mirra, "Near the crest bone."

As Mira thinks she can overhear the computer on the bridge state. '20 seconds till impact', "All right Nanette listen to me, the Minbari genealogy states that if a Minbari has crest bone injury it can be fatal, so try not to move him, I will be right there after we land—if we land, Mira out!" Mira braces herself for the contact to the ground.

The console goes out; as Nanette looks outside she begins to hear the count down and goes over to Mirra and Iris to protect them as the vessel hit the ground like dropping a pencil on soil, the force throws everything that was now nailed down about 50 feet to the left. As the impact causes fires and the lights go out, the emergency red lights come on, smoke fills the bridge, wires explode, the sound of hissing of pipes, and the groaning of the superstructure and the massive three mile long Invincible lies in the sand. As Nanette gets up the com comes on again. "This is Gram to the bridge, is anyone there?"

Nanette pushes the voice button. "Nanette here, are you all right Gram?"

Gram is badly injured, but he is more excited as sparks fly all around him. "I will survive, but I can say this; I have been though hell, it was like the Forth of July down here!"

Nanette looks at Gram, her arm aches. "Can the engines run?"

"Let me check," Gram goes to the console and brings up the data. "With proper repairs we'll be airborne in a few hours."

Nanette smiles, "Good, do as much as you can."

Incevi patches in. "Nanette, this is Incevi, I have been monitoring our situation, and we have hostiles."

Nanette nods, "I know they shot us down!"

Incevi replies quickly. "No we have hostiles outside this ship, form is…Human?"

Nanette is surprised. "Human, but this is Sigma 957?"

Incevi concurs. "I know, also I have monitored communications—Nanette someone has patched a transmitter to this location explaining our arrival. Nanette, we have a mole!"

Nanette stands there in shock. "All right Incevi do what you can, Nanette out." Nanette turns off the console in anger. And she throws a runic file in anger wondering who was the mole. As she looks at Mirra and Iris, she can feel herself losing control, the curse passed to her by Iris is taking over, but as she looks at her arms, the autism is not the only thing taking over her, she to is transgressing.


	3. Shadow’s Of Sigma 957

**CHAPTER THREE: Shadow's of Sigma 957**

As Nanette watched Mirra and Iris she tries not to think of who might be the mole, the only suspects she can think of is Iris, Casthmatic, or Jake, but as the figures come in, both Iris and Casthmatic are in the care of Medical assistance, and Jake is always with Casthmatic. It can't be Arimira, she too has been seriously injured, and Mirra's pride and honor to serve the light would not cause him to serve darkness, that's been the way of Minbari for years. The last three are Gram, Incevi, and myself and I know I am not the mole, but as the facts slim down Gram and Incevi have not even a scratch on them, but she knows Incevi, he is loyal to Earth and to her, he would never threaten this mission. As the thoughts daunt Nanette she insisted to remain clear minded to the current problem, but now she had to assist the acquired damage to the Invincible. As Nanette looked around she tells Mira to stay with the injured as she goes and rounds up the others for inspection. "This is Nanette to Jake, Incevi, and Gram your assistance is needed at the docking bay be there in two minutes, Nanette out."

Nanette shuts off the Med Bay com and talks to Mira. Mira looks at Nanette who at the moment does not look at that great. "I should come too Nanette!"

Nanette looks at Mira, "No Mira, I need you here in the Med Bay, if any are in trouble you need to be here for them, your no use to me outside."

Mira disagrees but does not argue. As Nanette looks at the injured she turns and leaves. As Nanette is walking briskly towards the docking bay she hears a strange sound, a beacon near a power source, she rushes to the beacon and takes it off the electric wires and the beacon shuts off, on the beacon the letters are scratched somewhat but clearly spells out 'Property of Anterian Civil Defense Department', it is now clear that the mole is Gram, and she was holding the evidence—he would know where to put it, he has the ships energy statistics. As Incevi approaches, Nanette quickly hides the transmitter. "Nanette, good to see you."

Nanette looks at Incevi and a strange nausea comes over her. "Good to see you to Incevi."

Nanette pulls Incevi into the room and closes the door, Incevi is wondering what Nanette is doing. "What's wrong?"

Nanette looks at Incevi, she need to let Incevi know that her suspicions point to Gram. "Remember when you told me that you found a transmitter sending a signal from this ship?"

Incevi looks at Nanette, "Not found, detected a signal, it was coming from a highly powerful energy source, and thus we were nailed for it too, why do you ask?"

Nanette looks at Incevi, the one person she trust, but closer she gets, nausea comes over her, stomach cramps, the same Iris had in the hallway leaving her room. As Incevi sees this he steps away, but goes to help her. "Are you alright Nanette?"

Nanette finally overcomes the pain and refocuses. "I'm sorry, I took a heavy beating on the bridge, but anyway I believe I know whom did it."

Incevi looks at Nanette. "Well whom?"

Nanette looks at the door to see if anyone is standing out there. "Gram, the Anterian hybrid, since he has been here he has avoided the chaos and avoided the chance of being injured."

Incevi does not confirm Nanette's story. "But do you have the proof of his guilt?"

Nanette nods, "Yes," pulling the transmitter out of her pocket. "This lessons the suspects down to Mira and Gram, and Mira did get somewhat injured."

Incevi extends his hand. "May I use that transmitter for my investigations, maybe I can track it source by fingerprints—of course I will have at bit of problem due to that you've touched it."

Nanette nods, "Sure, we do not want to accuse Gram till we catch him in the act, then we can nail him."

Incevi looks at the transmitter, he shakes his head, he can't believe that one of the prophecy would side with the darkness. "Sure Nanette, justice as always."

As Nanette opens the door they walk together to the docking bay where Gram and Jake wait with environmental suits. Gram looks at Nanette, he wonders why they were called so quickly, they haven't even finished life support statistics inside. "What is the hurry?"

Nanette looks at Gram, but conceals her anger towards him. "Well we need to get outside the hull may be damaged."

Jake nods, "All right."

Nanette looks at Incevi, "Ah—this is how we'll do this. Gram you go with Incevi and Jake you will come with me." Incevi smiles and nods letting Nanette know of her plans, alouding Incevi to watch Gram closely.

As the four put on their suits they go outside on Sigma 957. "Wow what a landscape!" Says Jake how is intrigued by the lifelessness of this planet.

Nanette looks at Jake through her plastic window in her encounter suit. "This is Sigma 957 the once outpost of the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum, it is nice looking if you like rocks!"

Jake nods, "Yes that's true." Jake ventures off from Incevi and Nanette to a cliffs edge. "Ah—Nanette—Nanette you should see this!"

Nanette walks over. "What do you got Jake?"

Jake point down into the crater. "Look at that."

As Nanette looks into the crater she is shocked at what she sees. "What the--?" Down in a major crater is two vessels—but not Shadow—Human sort of design. "Who are they?"

"There the Furrore and Dolshire." Says a voice behind them.

Nanette and Jake turn around in surprise and are knocked out with the creature's metal bar. As the creature looks at the bodies a group of creatures grab Nanette and Jake and carry them down to the two vessels. As the bodies are looked at, a doctor removes the clothes and places wires and small tubes and then dresses them in white clothe and places them in a tilted bed shackled. "Doctor!" Says Hindrick.

The doctor is looking at Nanette, as he observes her, he looks at the skin of Nanette, it is covered in flesh near the sensitive parts of the body, but the rest is plated with scales. But for being a fish species, there is no gills, only two fins on her arms that seem to serve no purpose to her. The other strange fact about the female species is that the hair near the ears is dying, but only near the ears, and the X-rays show the calcium is pushing through the skin, forming a bone. The last interesting fact is the neurons in her brain are being attack by an organic energy creating expansion to memory, but crippling her auditory skills. "I am not sure yet Hindrick they're like no species we've ever encountered before!"

Hindrick doesn't even look at them, "Are they those spiders?"

The doctor looks at them closely, "I don't know?"

Hindrick becomes impatient. "Take a guess doctor."

The doctor looks at the clothing, and the blood he drawled. "Not spiders."

Hindrick looks at them finally, he gazes upon flesh creatures, humanoid. "So how did they make it pass the glowing eyes of death?"

The doctor is becoming annoyed with his leader. "I don't know Hindrick."

Another creature approaches Hindrick. "Comrade Hindrick, we've have reports of two others what do you suggest?"

Hindrick looks at the two species in isolation. "Let them be, we only have resources to treat two, not four."

Back to the Invincible. "Incevi, where is Nanette and Jake?"

Incevi looks at the ship, looks at the place where it was struck down by Gram's associates. "I don't know Gram."

Incevi looks around for the others. "This is Incevi to either Nanette or Jake come back!" No reply. "This is Incevi to Nanette or Jake come back!" Once again no reply.

Gram hears the call from Incevi and decides to go see where Nanette or Jake got off to. "This is Gram to Incevi; I am going to the north to search."

Incevi pulls out his gun and walks behind Gram and shots Gram in the back injuring him. "Sorry buddy, but my associates don't like Shadow's." Incevi pulls the dead like body over to a rock and twists his back and arm to mimic that Gram had shot himself, next Incevi pulled out a airtight letter and folded and placed it in Grams pocket. After Incevi was finished, he turned off the air supplies to create sweat and tiredness and when he could not take it he turned on the air and then radioed in to the Invincible. "This is Incevi to Invincible this is an emergency."

Mira hears the cry from Incevi, and goes quickly to her com. "This is Mira, go ahead Incevi."

Incevi tries to catch his breath, and as he does so, he looks at Gram. "Gram has shot himself I think suicide—we need medical attention now!"

Mira is shocked, the last time she saw Gram, Gram did not seem suicidal. "I will be there do not move him."

Incevi looks at the lifeless body of the hybrid. "Don't worry I wont; please hurry!"

Mirra finds Incevi and the body of Gram. "Dear god, all right help me move him."

Incevi looks at the body, "I thought we were not to?"

Mira looks at Gram and sees that the shot did not kill him yet. "When shot the blood plasma's around the wound in space, but his eyes have edema, so we must move now." Incevi and Mira take the body in the ship and to Med Bay. Mira tells Incevi to go find Nanette and Jake, but Incevi is hesitant to move but knows Nanette has the launch sequence, so he leaves as Mira looks at Grams body she turns him on his side and where the gun shot is located it is impossible to shot yourself there. As Mira studies the blood on the environmental suit there is a trail of blood instead of one clot, Mira now knows he was dragged. As she looks at his Identification a paper falls out of his coat of his Environmental suit as she opens the paper there is a transmitter and a typed letter that states 'Sorry to strand you on Sigma 957, but my associates request me dead and you to never complete this mission'. As Mira turns over the paper there on the paper is small microprint water faded letter on the bottom that states, 'Paper Company of Altavice.' As Mira thinks she realizes that Gram was shot in the back and dragged to the rock, there Incevi placed this false letter in his EVA suit. Mira has realized that Incevi is the mole for the Hand. She emergency shuts all security codes—the Invincible is locked down.

As the light gets brighter Nanette begins to awaken, she hears struggling and as she looks to the source of the noise she sees Jake moving violently as she tries to lift her hand it is pulled down by a chain. "Jake?"

The struggle ends. Jake listens for the sound. "Nanette are you all right?"

Nanette thinks of her reply, but she can speak it. As she calms herself do, she finally can say what she needed to say. "Yes, have you've seen our captors yet?"

Jake looks about but leaving your eyes open even for four seconds hurt extremely badly. "No it is too bright!"

The same voice that attacked them speaks again. "Then maybe we should dim the lights." As the light dims, Nanette and Jake's eyes adjust to the figure in front of them. "Remove the chains."

The chains liquefy and Nanette and Jake are free. As Nanette sits up she rubs her wrist which are sore, sore from the dragging and sore from the chains. Jake looks at the creature concealed in shadows. "Who are you?"

The creature points to itself. "You mean us, I am Deylnn of the Furrore, and this is Spurr of the Dolshire, who are you?"

Jake looks at Nanette, she is rocking back and forward, Deylnn and Spurr look at this and are confuse, why is she doing that. As for Jake, he looks at this and is as equally confused, he has never seen Nanette perform like this. As Jake wonders what Nanette is doing, the aliens who have been at this point kind to them, stare confused, is she meditating or is this a way to muster a escape plan? They can not be certain. As Jake looks at Nanette, Nanette mutters over and over, but her words can not be heard. As Jake looks at the aliens then back at Nanette, this makes no sense. "Nanette are you alright?" Jake extends his hand to shake her out of this strange meditation. As Jake touches Nanette, the touch registers to Nanette is if she was just hit, she does not fight back against Jake but screams out loud, the sound pierces everyone's ears and she slaps Jakes hand away and when Spurr on accident touches her, Nanette violently thrashes out in hits and kicks then rolls herself up tight and rocks back and forward, mumbling louder, as everyone looks at Nanette, everyone takes one step back as the rocking becomes intense, she stops and seems to awaken only to fall to the ground screaming once again in pain. As energy flows through her, her body seems to melt and the flesh tightens up, and Nanette appears to be almost ten years younger gasping there on the cement in front of a terrified audience.

As Nanette looks at Jake, Jake looks at Nanette, Nanette is uncertain what has just happened, but all she remembers is the question, who are you echoing in her memory. "My name is Nanette of the Invincible, and this Jake of the CX Valdi. It is nice to meet you." As Nanette looks at the terrified as then relives the lost memory and she is embarrassed.

As Deylnn looks at Nanette, it's mouth hangs open. "What happened?"

Jake, Spurr, and Deylnn look at Nanette for a explanation. "It has began in me too!"

Jake looks at Nanette, "What?"

Nanette looks at Jake. "Remember when we were on X'ha'dum and Iris and I return, I looked like I got done running a marathon and Iris was..."

Jake looks at Nanette's younger complexion. "Younger...you caught something from Iris didn't you?"

Nanette nods, "At first I was not certain, but after I began to show signs of his autism...I am becoming like my children, and Iris is returning to her per-metamorphosed-self, we have to get to Thirdspace before we are non-transformable!" Nanette and Jake's adjust they see the creatures. They look like a jackal, which is a human dog, but this jacket has a long snout and the look of flayed flesh dangling from its mouth. The look of the creature is frightened, but one creature removes its head and appears as a human. "Wait a minute your Human!"

Deylnn nods, "Yes, we are a clan from Earth, we launched a mission to Mars in 2010, and we were the first, after the launch our equipment got jammed and we were caught in a backwash of a fleet of giant spiders. As we entered a different realm of red fire we appeared here and crashed here on this dead planet, we sent a scout up to get help, but every attempt ended with our vessel shot down."

Jake thinks of the date. "2010, that is over 1251 years ago, your air supplies must have ran out by now?"

Spurr nods, "It almost did, GSAC supplied us with plants as research, we breed them and cross breed them with human genes as we were heading to Mars, we were to only be expose for awhile, but since then they take our carbon dioxide and transform it into oxygen in richened with compounds such as calcium carbonates, phosphorus, nitrogen, and so form of food. We have two new chemicals so over the years we adjusted to the oxygen and the chemicals feed us and changed us."

Jake does not follow. "First what is the GSAC and second what effects and will they affect us?"

Spurr looks at Deylnn, and Deylnn speaks about the GSAC. "The GSAC is the Germanic Space and Air Control; they are the ones who built the Furrore and Dolshire, second the chemicals will not hurt you as long as you don't reproduce aboard this ship."

"Why?" Says Nanette is beginning to reestablish control over herself, trying to remain calm.

Deylnn speaks. "I am the twelfth generation of my grandfather and grandmother, when they had a child the plants were already being crossbreed and by the eighth generation of my family the affects were noted, we were living longer, we could not gain much weight probably because the food is our air supplies."

Nanette is surprised. "What?"

Deylnn nods, smiling. "The calcium carbonate and phosphorus create a matter that feeds us, we haven't eaten for almost 1000 years."

Jake interrupts Nanette. "So it has made you non-omnivorous?"

Spurr shakes his head. "No, we eat, but not in the same way as you do, that is due to another transformation, we've grown some form of gill that filters the air for this material."

Nanette interrupts Jake this time to make a compare and contrast. "Like baleen whales?"

Deylnn looks confused but agrees. "Yes, I suppose."

Nanette remembering the earlier conversation, strangely word for word. "You said spiders attacked you?"

Spurr who has been edgy interrupts Deylnn. "You think I am crazy?"

Nanette answers Spurr's question. "No we believe you because there is really a spidery vessel one time ago out there, their name was the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum, and they were driven out in 2261 with the Vorlon's."

Deylnn interrupts Spurr, because every time Spurr begins to talk and question Nanette, Nanette begins to slip back into that freaky mode. "So there are no more Shadow's?"

Nanette looks at Jake then back at Deylnn and Spurr. "Not exactly, there are the nice ones of X'ha'dum, but it is good you did not move!"

Spurr interrupts Deylnn. "Why?"

Nanette tries to stand up and to move about. "This space is crawling with Hands, they are much worse than the Shadow's."

Spurr is worried that Nanette might go into one of those freaky modes and keeps his distance. "I see and you are from?"

Nanette speaks. "I am from Earth."

Jake speaks. "Me too, I am from Frankfort, Germany."

Deylnn smiles, "You're from Germany that is cool, what is Earth like now?"

Nanette and Jake look at one another, Nanette is the only one who truly knows. "It's been leveled badly; the Drakh and the Hand have attacked Earth and left its beautiful cities in ruin."

Spurr looks at Deylnn, "I see, maybe it was best we left?"

The two young children get up and begin to walk backwards slowly with their faces facing towards Nanette and Jake to show reign over them. As they disappear out of sight, Nanette and Jake once again look at one another as they think to themselves they are interrupted by two visitors one who looks like one of the two, the other taller and older—much older. They do not speak much, mostly mumble, then the younger one walks towards them with a sharp needle. Nanette and Jake panic at the scene and begin to get up but chains tie them back down, as the younger creature injects both Nanette and Jake they fall asleep. The doctor looks at Deylnn and Spurr. "After close observation it is finally clear to state that the two are rendered useless. They are composed of skin, tissue, scales, tissue, scales, fins and two strange major features."

Spurr point to Nanette. "And what is the Ambassador?"

The doctor looks at the charts. "They appear to have gills that only half work, they use the gas exchange for their respiratory track, and second they have a much non-Human bone structure over their faces. I would classify them as two breeds, Humans and alien mostly fish origin."

Spurr looks at Deylnn, "Interesting, well you better take this knowledge to the furor; you know how he gets when someone does not state the whole truth!"

Deylnn looks at the creature called the Prime Chancellor, who is in-charge of the aliens. "I understand prime chancellor may I be relieved?"

The chancellor nods, "Yes after you go to the furor!"

Deylnn nods, "Will do so!"

The young creature leaves and walks towards the large room where many guards stand with weapons drawn. He stops and looks to the guard on the left then to the right, but they don't look back, so he proceeds onward to where he stops at the pit of sterilizer plasma where he dips his hands in and then retreats his hands. As he smoothers his hands on the decaying flesh of the mask of the jackal he happens to look up to a much scarier looking masked dog—this would be the furor. "Ambassador Deylnn of the noble Furrore."

Deylnn looks at his furor, "Furor Hindrick of the noble Furrore, I come with sterile hands a sterile mouth to only speak the truth."

Hindrick sits down on his throne. "And why do you come?"

Deylnn looks at the papers then at his furor. "With results of outsiders."

Furor Hindrick, lays back and ushers Deylnn to go on. "Speak!"

Deylnn looks directly at the furor and no where else, to do so would to signal your lying, punishable by death! "The two outsiders appear to be two species of Human and alien, the results appear in forms of scales, bone, fins, and gills."

Hindrick thinks, "Scales and gills, hmm…hybrids? Did they speak of the spiders?"

Deylnn nods, "Yes they call them the Shadow's, but they say there gone except of the second type of Shadow's."

Hindrick looks at Deylnn, "That's impossible, we seen ships!"

Deylnn replies, "Yes, they call them the Hand, the new enemy."

Hindrick, after his angry moment to impress the guards, lies back in his throne. "Does these hybrids have a name?"

Deylnn nods, "Yes Nanette, the creepy; and Jake of Earth."

Hindrick ponders of their purpose here on Sigma 957. "So there here to help us?"

Deylnn shakes his head. "No furor, Earth is gone, destroyed by wars."

Hindrick raises an eye brow in surprise, and sharply demands the name. "By whom?"

"Two races, the Drakh and Hand."

Hindrick hears a repeat name and questions these Hands. "There are those Hands again, how advanced?"

Deylnn remains staring at the furor, "Advanced to force their ship on our planet."

Hindrick is bored on the report. "Is that all?"

Deylnn nods. "Yes sir."

Lord Anubis points to opposite direction Deylnn faces. "Then you may go."

Nanette and Jake wake up tired but alert, they are confused to what has happened to them. "Jake wake up." Nanette shaking him, knowing that at least he wont spas out on her.

Jake wakes and is surprised Nanette is touching him, last time her touched Nanette, World War Five was fought in less then ten feet of his face. "Nanette—what happened?"

Nanette looks at where the needle gabbed her. "We must been drugged."

A frighten figure walks in, it is very tall and rugged looking. "My name is Furor Hindrick of the GSAC space vessel Furrore."

Nanette looks at the creature, this one is more uglier then the first three. "If you don't mind me asking Furor Hindrick, but what is going on?"

Furor Hindrick says sharply. "Nothing, why?"

Nanette sums us her frustration. "Well we thought we were prisoners?"

Furor Hindrick laughs, " Oh no, we are learning, but I do have one request."

Nanette looks at the really disgusting creature, knowing that there is a Human under there. "What is that?"

"I want you to take Deylnn and Spurr with you; they are young and will make great workers."

Nanette looks at Jake, why is it that everyone that has the potential to kick their butts gives her children? "You want us to take them—why?"

Furor Hindrick knells down to get to Nanette's level. "It is honorable to die in battle, but to live here there is no life, and if these Hand are true we'll be possibility destroyed, I suppose you could say that I am not putting all my eggs in one basket."

Nanette nods, "Well I will take them, but will work as crew of the Invincible."

Furor Hindrick rises, "Well—okay I agree, take them and may the fatherland have mercy on your very soul!"

Nanette nods once and slightly. "I will, but to warn you, we will be entering Thirdspace, they probably be transformed, but it's the only way to stop the Hand."

To transform a German is the greatest crime in German humanity, but the Furor does not want them near him, for they belong to the one family they has a vendetta against him. "Then you should go now, we will assist you to your ascend into space."

As Nanette and Jake are released out of the dark room, they walk to the airlock and put on their environmental suits and walked out, as Nanette, Jake, Deylnn and Spurr walk outside, Nanette noticed that Deylnn and Spurr remained close together as if afraid of Nanette or Jake. Both Deylnn and Spurr have been dearmored and placed in teal clothing as if been in a hospital for some time. As they near the Invincible, Nanette is glad to be back at her ship, but as she enters the code the ship does not respond so she tries again thinking maybe she entered it wrong, but as second attempt fails she enters the override code and the door ajar to aloud Nanette to manually open the door. As she walks in the red lights are flashing, it is the lock down alert, Nanette goes over to a console enters a password and the red alert is ended. As Mira works in the red flashing dim lights she is still filling out her report on the facts that the attempted murder may have resulted in Gram's assault by Incevi, and the burning question that remains is why? As the red lights end Mira gets those butterflies feeling so she grabs a sharp surgical knife and is persistent to kill Incevi, for to her knowledge, Incevi has had killed Nanette and Jake and now he is after her, but her worries deepen when the door opens.

As Nanette looks at the other three she is wondering why the red alert has been issued, so for her and her other crew she unlocks the case on the wall and pulls out a 2270 plasma riffle—this gets the others very worried. As Nanette locks the case she opens the door to the hallway there is no one in the hall—it is quiet and empty. As she instructs the other three to go in the closet none of them refuse for she carries a motivator that can do quite some damage to the liquid body of a young species. As she locks the door she heads towards the Med Bay but she then hears arguing so Nanette quietly approaches the Med Lab doors. As Nanette peers inside there is Incevi holding a automatic riffle towards Mira's head threaten to kill her if she does not give the Med Bay life shuttle launch codes to him. As Nanette works the figures in her head she realizes that Incevi is the traitor, so she enters the room and shots twice killing Incevi. As Incevi body falls into Mira's arms the skin changes and Mir is holding a non-Human form in her hands, it is Incevi but he has some type of partite that took over his body, sort of like a keeper them Drakh use. It is soon to be realized that this creature is a implant by the Hand, the Vorlon's were correct, no one is safe from the Hand if you weren't touched by the Vorlon's or the Shadow's, but as Nanette sees it the conspiracy is over and Incevi is dead, latter they find a data crystal in his flesh that Incevi put there, it is Incevi before he was taken over, he says that he tried to warn the crew of the Invincible of the danger of X'ha'dum, and states that the Liberators implanted him with a insect that is taking over his body. When Nanette reviewed this file it did not make sense, it was too well put together. "Are you all right Mira?"

Mira gazes at the dead body of Incevi. "Yes, I was fooled by his honesty till his story did not react with Grams body."

Nanette looks at the wounded body of Gram, the one she first accused. "Talking about Gram how is he doing?"

Mira looks at Gram, "Gram is doing fine right now; if it weren't for the Shadow technology he would have died."

Nanette feels tired, tired of the constant battle with the advancing mutation. "I see."

Mira looks at Nanette, Nanette looks distressed, tired, and somewhat younger then the last time she saw her, but as she looks about, the other crew come to mind. "So where is Jake?"

Nanette almost forgetting them, turns around and heads for the door. "Oh he is with the others."

Mira is confused, "Others, what others?"

Mira follows Nanette to a closet. "We ran upon some locals; they call themselves two different names the Neo-supremacy of West Germany under control of Furor Hindrick and the other is the Velascostalog of East Germany under the now deceased order of Tirpiz. Their names are Deylnn and Spurr."

They finally reach the closet door. "Where are they?"

Nanette looks at the door. "They're locked in a closet I became slightly panic with the flashing red lights."

Nanette then remembers this is the wrong closet, so she goes back to get rid of Incevi's body out the airlock then get the others so they wont have to see the dead body of the traitor Incevi. Mira looks at the door and wonders why Nanette did not release them, so she opens the door and there is no one in the closet, she hurries up with Nanette who is heading back to the MedBay. "Yes, I suppose that can add to a frightening situation."

They finally arrive in the MedBay at Nanette goes to Incevi's dead body. "Very much, well let's go get them; they have to be very nervous."

Mira and Nanette drag the dead corpus of Incevi to an airlock and then outside on Sigma 957. As they progress downstairs to the room they opens the doors and peer inside but Nanette can't see anyone, but as fear raises the motion of a living form relieves it. As it comes out it is Jake. Jake motions Deylnn and Spurr to remove themselves from their hiding place to notion the safety of the current outcome. As Jake walks out he is filled with relief and would like just to hug her, but it would be a major mistake on his behalf for his genetic are unstable. "Hello Nanette!"

Jake hugs Nanette, and Nanette is caught off guard. "Hello Jake how is the other two?"

Jake releases Nanette and looks at them. "Shook up a little you even had me worried when you removed the plasma riffle."

Nanette smiles and nods slightly. "Yes, but it was for your protection!"

Jake looks around, "So who did this?"

Nanette looks at the once frighten Mira. "It was Incevi; he was a mole for the Hand."

Jake shakes his head in disbelief. "Incevi, I did not even expect it to be him, I expected it to be Gram."

Nanette nods, "So did I till he was shot in the back."

.Jake looks at Nanette, "So do we have engines?"

Nanette is not sure. "We don't know, Gram was working on it."

Mira interrupts them, "So Gram holds the answers." Nanette nods agreeing to Mira presumptions.

They go back to Med Lab. Gram is awake and is walking slowly around the Med Lab looking at the others. Mira being the chief of medical freaks out, he should not be moving, he's been shot for goodness sakes! "Gram, you should not be up!"

Gram looks at Mira. "It's all right I will be fine, the Shadow Chrysalis is repairing me." Gram looks at the injured other. "I could help repair the others?"

Arimira wakes up, lying on the medical table. "Have we landed captain?"

Nanette looks at Arimira. "Yes Arimira, we have landed on Sigma 957."

Arimira props herself up to look at Nanette, she notices that Nanette has became younger. "What is our condition captain?"

Nanette walks to Arimira's side. "Well Incevi is dead and most of the crew has been injured badly. I suppose the truth did point to itself."

Arimira looks at Nanette with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

Nanette looks down at the injured Arimira. "Incevi was dark he was unsettled."

Arimira sits up shaking the sleep off her. "I see."

Nanette looks at the rest of her crew. "Well can you help repair the others?"

Arimira looks at the ill crew of the Invincible. "Yes, but it will take some time, it is a hard process."

Nanette looks at Arimira. "Okay, you and Gram figure it out, but I must warn you when touching Casthmatic you need to wear gloves—flesh-to-flesh contact will cause major problems, and do the same with Iris."

Arimira looks at Gram, Gram analogist the command. "Will do so. Gram may we talk." Gram slowly walks towards Arimira. "What wrong with you anyway?"

Gram looks at Arimira in the fashion of, oh, glad to see you too! "Oh I was just shot—nothing much."

Arimira looks at the wound, the hole in Gram's, shirt. "By whom?"

Gram looks at Arimira who has dried blood on her forehead from the fall. "Incevi, he was the dark agent."

Arimira looks down at the ground. "I see, now understand!" Arimira looks at Gram's scales and fins and remembers that he is more Anterian then Shadow and if he pushes himself, the tech will tire itself. "You're more Anterian than Shadow, and take it easy!" Arimira looks at the injured and dying. "So this is how'll we'll go it Gram, as it looks there are three injured, both Iris and Mirra have severe head injuries, Casthmatic has a severe leg problem, but is awake, I want you to help her, but use gloves."

Gram nods, "I know—I eavesdropped on Nanette and your conversation."

Arimira looks at the others, "Well let's get to work."

Arimira and Gram begin the healing process with Shadow technology, the process takes awhile and with the grounded ship Nanette goes back to the Furrore and Dolshire to ask for assistance the decaying flesh like jackals go to the damaged Invincible that looks vindictive right now. As the creatures repair the ship, Furor Hindrick and Nanette have a conversation about the attack of the Hand. The Furor is excited to go back into battle, but tells her that his people have not went to battle for over 300 years. Nanette then warns Furor Hindrick that going into the Artifact's gate will trigger all the Hand to flee back to the Artifact in fear that outsiders threaten their old home world. Next we find the gates energy time field and blow it thus causing the ships that left that time to incinerate within our own time. Furor Hindrick is sort of skeptical with the entire process but does not argue with her plans. Furor Hindrick tells Nanette that they will help clear the way so they can reach their target. As the repairs near to a finish they end their meeting to ready the fleet, the fleet of Sigma 957. As Nanette goes to C&C she is surprised to see Mirra there working on some of the burnt consoles, and trying to remove the beam that sliced through his navigation console. As Gram rewires in the console with outside scanners the console is up running. To make detail scans, Mirra scans for life forms on Sigma 957 and the scanners confirm the location of the German battle stars. As Mirra scans all radio waves there is a strange humming sound that sends shivers up Mirra's spine, it is the Artifacts energy field. As Nanette patches to all other stations she receives a cryptic code on her console, then it goes blank. At first Nanette is uncertain what it means thinking it was a computer flaw, but the last numbers is her room numbers, and then she figures it out. Also in the code were three identification names—Spurr, Deylnn, and Iris. So she calls them to meet her at her room. Iris who has been awake for awhile arrives first to Nanette's room, Spurr and Deylnn come together. As Nanette arrives, Iris notices that Nanette has transformed into a younger looking being, but says nothing about it. Iris is the first to break the silence. "Nanette what's wrong?"

Nanette looks at the group. "I was told to send for you all, now Iris all ready knows what's behind this door, the two of you do not. There the fourth oldest race in our known universe."

Deylnn interrupts Nanette. "Which is the oldest of the oldest?"

Nanette looks at group. "The Liberators. The Vorlon's are their name of their race they all refer themselves to the name Kosh even though they have a first and a last for identification. The blue Vorlon is Ulkesh Kosh, the brown Vorlon is Kosh Nanarke, and they wont harm you as long as you don't harm them. And secondly, don't believe in all they say, they have a knack for twisting words and using sentences with so much ballistic confusion." Nanette opens the door; there on the floor lay two Vorlon's toppled over. "Kosh!" Nanette, Iris and the other two run over to Kosh Nanarke. "**HELP NOW!**" Demands Ulkesh Kosh.

As they all help the brown one up, it is a major task. They are extremely heavy. The blue Vorlon was next and he or she was very relieved. Both Vorlon's look at the four and Kosh Nanarke figures to speak. "**NANETTE.**"

Nanette looks at Kosh, she is out of breath. "Yes Kosh?"

"**IRIS.**" Says Kosh Nanarke looking at the young frighten child who is trying not to go into an autistic state.

"I am here." Says Iris.

Kosh Nanarke looks next at Deylnn and Spurr. "**DEYLNN AND SPURR.**"

Deylnn speaks for Spurr who is terrified for the Vorlon's. "We are here; it is an honor to be in your presence!"

The Vorlon looks admired. Nanette looks at Kosh Nanarke, knowing that every minute the Invincible lies here on Sigma 957 the closer the Hand approach. "So Kosh, why did you send for us?"

"**YOU SEND FOR ME.**" Says Kosh calmly.

Deylnn and Spurr look confused at one another. Nanette looks at Iris, Iris is as confused about them as she is. "Yes I believe that's so, we have all greatly suffered; we are also grounded on Sigma 957."

"**YES.**" Says Ulkesh Kosh bitterly.

Nanette continues, "And we also had a mole aboard by the name of Incevi, the ships security officer."

Kosh Nanarke speaks, "**YES—BUT DANGER STILL REMAINS WITH YOU!**"

Nanette looks at Kosh Nanarke confused an frighten. "What do you mean, we have another mole?"

Ulkesh Kosh speaks, "**SERVANT OF THE DARKNESS.**"

Nanette is impatient and upset, another crew member is a servant of the Hand. "Who?"

In C&C Furor Hindrick is on the com. "Is Nanette there?"

Mirra walks over with a limp, he is still hurting for his injuries, but they at least are no longer life threatening! "No, may I ask who's calling?"

"Furor Hindrick of the Furrore, I have my crew ready for launch."

Mira is puzzled for a second, but gives further order to this Furor Hindrick. "All right please stand by." On ship com. "This is Mirra to Arimira."

Arimira goes over to the com, she is tired from the healing process. "Arimira here."

Mirra continues, "Have you've seen Nanette, Mr. Hindrick is ready for launch orders."

Arimira at first has to think for a second, but then remembers when Nanette is. "She had Iris, Deylnn, and Spurr meet her at the room."

Mirra pauses for a second. "Her room, I see, I will go find her then—Mirra out." Mirra shuts off the com and opens the com to Hindrick. "Hindrick!"

Hindrick goes over to his com, "Hindrick here."

Mirra presses the com one more time. "Please stand by for launching orders--Mirra out." Mirra turns off the computer and leaves the bridge to go to Nanette's quarters.

In the mess hall Casthmatic and Jake are adjusting the mess hall fixing the doors, Jake looks over to Casthmatic "Casthmatic."

Casthmatic who is straightening out the kitchen looks over at Jake. "Yes Jake?"

Jake is messing with wires trying to get the door to operate correctly. "Could you please come here and help me set up this transmitter, we need it now on line before they launch so this area is live wired."

Casthmatic puts down the sharpen knives. "I will be there shortly;" Casthmatic looks at the doors in the mess hall and shakes her head, darn technology when it fails. "These doors are automatic and need some repair."

In the engine room, Gram is messing with the electrical switch board for the rear engines, the same engines that took direct hit from the Hand vessel. Arimira steps into the engine room and looks at the poorly developed room, wires everywhere, tubes and pipes on the deck and above her head. Electrical pistons sparking around her, it's like walking into one gigantic sparkler. "Gram are you in here?" No reply, Arimira figures that Gram is somewhere else and goes to the navigation and weapons electric board and begins typing figures into the weapons computer.

Gram hears typing and goes to check on it. He sees Arimira downloading codes into the mainframe computer. "Arimira—what are you doing?"

Arimira turns around and looks at Gram in shock, he scared her. "Oh—Gram you scared me, I called for you."

Gram looks at the monitor and at the codes. "What are you doing to that monitor?" Gram points out.

Arimira looks at the computer and then shows him some written numbers. "The system is down I am rebooting it for system ready."

Back in the quarters where Kosh is. "**CLOSE TO THE RUNIC.**"

Nanette thinks for the statement. "Runic, what's a runic?" Spurr looks at Deylnn, the look of surprise and anger. "Would you like to share your thoughts with us Spurr?"

Spurr looks at Deylnn, "A runic is a cross, that of West Germany!"

Nanette stops Spurr's advance. "Wait a minute there Spurr; lets not accuse Deylnn of treason. And we have suspects once before martyrs. The Anterians have a runic cross as the symbol of rebirth of salt to flesh. That levels the playing field to Mira, Gram, Casthmatic, Iris, Jake, and myself—almost everyone." They are silent. "We'll just have to keep an open eye for any strange activity."

As Nanette proposed this idea she leaves her room and calls for the entire crew to meet her in C&C. As every one gathers the role call begins. "We are preparing to launch as a new crew, this is your new profession, Arimira you will still be in charge of weapons and defense, and we could use your implanted technology. Casthmatic and Jake, I have made note of your cooking skills so I am assigning you to the mess hall. Delenn 3rd Mirra Mir I would like you within navigation your skills are very useful and when we go against the Hand I will need you. Gram, your our best engineer I need you there! Mira I need you in the Med Lab you've shown we you can handle yourself under great stress. Spurr can you run security?"

Spurr is usually performing the weak jobs, and now with being offered the title of security chief, Spurr accepts. "Yes, I was sort of an officer on the Dolshire." Spurr nods and smiles.

Nanette looks at Iris, the one whom seems the most need to be watched, not as an enemy, but as one who keeps having attacks of genetic transformations and autism. "Iris, can you help Mir with medical?"

Iris, stutter for a second, but gains control of his speech. "Sure."

Nanette looks at Deylnn, possibly one of the most suspicious. "Deylnn, what skills do you have?"

Deylnn looks at Nanette and then at the people. "Mostly interrogation and tracking, but that would step on Mirra."

Mirra looks at Deylnn, he has grown actually fond of the German. "That's all right with me; I could use a second hand."

Nanette looks at Mirra. "Well—okay."

Nanette turns to the Vorlon's. "**WE WILL BE HERE.**" Says Kosh Nanarke.

"**NOW GO!**" Says Ulkesh Kosh in his usual harsh monotone.

Nanette looks at the crew. "Lets go, we need to launch, Mirra get Hindrick on the line, tell him that we launch in ten minutes and should have gun ports open and armed!"

Mirra nods, "We'll do that!"

Nanette, Mirra, and Deylnn entered in the C&C. "This is Nanette to Gram…hit the engines."

Gram looks at the levels and button, he is covered in oil and grease from the engines. "Aye captain."

Back to Navigation, Nanette looks at Mirra and goes from station check. "This is a station check, security?"

Spurr looks for the button to the com and finds the com button he hit it and speaks strongly. "Spurr here."

Nanette nods checks off the security office and goes to the next station. "Med Lab?"

Mira walks over quickly holding a surgery tray she has been prepping for emergency surgery. "Mira here," Mira looks at Iris who is at the moment in an autistic trance. "Iris here also—ready for take off." Mira turns off the com and goes to help Iris snap out of it.

Nanette checks off the Med Lab facilities and goes to the dining hall. "Mess hall?"

Jake goes to the com, it finally works. "Casthmatic and I are here—ready to go!"

Nanette checks off dining station. Nanette looks at the next station right across from her. "Weapons?"

Arimira looks at Nanette. "Armed and ready."

Nanette press the com again and make the finally check. "Engineering?"

Gram goes back over to the com. "Engines ready and so am I."

Turns off com. Nanette looks at Arimira, "He's too optimistic for this early in the morning!"

Mirra looks at the computer screen then speaks to inform Nanette. "Navigation check and Deylnn and I are ready."

Nanette sits down in her chair. "Good, navigation, weapons, and engineering standby. Mirra you have the patch to Hindrick?"

Mirra looks at Nanette, "Yes I do, he has been waiting."

Nanette nods, but it is not truly visible if you weren't looking for it. "All right patch him through."

Hindrick's face appears on the plasma—like screen. "Nanette is everything all right, Mirra said you were elsewhere?"

Nanette nods, and keeps a stern look on her face. "Yes, last minute check."

Hindrick looks down for a second then back at the monitor. "Is everything in working order?"

Nanette looks at Mirra and Deylnn. "Yes, we also have integrated Spurr and Deylnn into our crew, Spurr is now our head of security and Deylnn is our second of Navigation and interrogation."

Hindrick's face twists, he was hoping that Nanette would put them away in a dark pit in the enormous ship. "Well I knew they serve well…are we ready for launch?"

Nanette looks at Mirra, Mirra nods, Nanette looks at Incevi. "Yes, all systems check."

Hindrick checks with his crew for a second then looks back at the monitor, "All right then, you go first we will send the Dolshire ahead of you and the Furrore behind you to create a flying wedge."

Nanette nods, but questions their ships, even the Invincible being Shadow hybrid received one strong hit. "Understand, How much fire stress can the Furrore and Dolshire handle?"

Hindrick ponders for a second. "Up to nine close range shots then things begin to get nasty, how about you?"

Nanette does not really know. "The Invincible was made like a brick, we should hold as long as they don't hit the engines again."

Hindrick nods, "We shall then cover you there, good luck to you—to all of us."

As the picture fades a few letters cryptic transmit across the plasma screen, they were spelled out as CT4.957SIGRUNICFRRE.1.

Nanette looks at Mirra. "Lets prepare launch, Gram."

Gram goes to his com. "Gram here!"

Nanette pauses knowing that they are thirty seconds away from a whole world of trouble. "Were good for go."

As the engines turn on the dust is thrown into the clear shy as if a giant bass was waking from its sleep on the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Invincible raises so do the Furrore and Dolshire. As they rise into space leaving Sigma 957, the Furrore begins firing—at the Dolshire and Invincible. As both ships scatter to pull away from Furrore the Dolshire is hit and then hit again five times per second by the Furrore and two Hand Sniper vessels. As most of the Dolshire is on fire it turns around and begins falling at the two Hand snipers and the Furrore. As the Dolshire shots out two steady beams in the atmosphere the gasses erupt violently forcing the two Hand vessels and the Furrore to stay in the Dolshire's ramming solution. As the Dolshire fires at the Hand vessels nothing happens, but as the Dolshire falls faster by the second it slices through the organic flesh of the small sniper vessels then spins out of control as it windmills closer to the Furrore the Furrore send out a distress signal to surrender and moves out of the Dolshire's collision path as the flaming vessel and the Hand vessel plummets towards Sigma 957, a last distress signal is sent to the Invincible as the ship impacts Sigma 957 in a giant debris and fireball. As the Furrore signal to Invincible Nanette is extremely mad, but is to be shocked. "Furrore to Invincible."

Nanette is standing looking at the burning wreck of the Dolshire then only receives audio. "Furrore what the hell happened?"

A female voice fill the bridge of the Invincible, it's not the voice of the furor, Hindrick. "We've have relieved Furor Hindrick of his duties, he is responsible for the destruction of the Dolshire. His reports we found most disturbing, we are sending it to you, he referred himself as the Runic of Greater Germany, he had many allies including these Hands."

Mirra interrupts. "Talking about Hands the whole armada is headed our way, 50 hostile vessels."

Furrore interrupts. "Well I guess we'll see if the Invincible is really invincible?"

Nanette looks at the whole armada. "Arm your weapons Furrore, and try targeting the hostiles."

As the Invincible is hit after hit, chunks of the ship are breaking away, but repaired by the Shadow and Vorlon technology, as it looks the Invincible is holding up to its name. As for the Furrore, it is really burning badly, the ship is being destroyed, and the Furrore is about to make it grand confrontation with the Hand's Capital ship. As the Hand Capital vessel charges towards the Furrore the Hand Capital vessel is ripping apart the vessel, but the ship is not being destroyed. As the renegade vessels close their distance the other Hand vessels notice the disaster to their Capital ship so they retreat the Invincible and swarm towards the Furrore as the crew of the Furrore see the size of the Capital vessel they sit or stand at their stations knowing that if they die here they wont have to mutate no longer with the planet created oxygen. As the ships drive into one another there is a massive explosion and the other Hand vessels swarm around the burning vessels, but left the Invincible alone heading towards the gate. As the Invincible enters the gate the Invincible disappears within the bluish white plasma iris.

Last tribute to the Furrore

As the Furrore headed towards the Hand Capitol Ship, the enormous size dwarfed the Furrore. As the new furor watches the Invincible enter Thirdspace, she looks forward. As she stands on the bridge, she orders the engine room to push the engines on full, and for every weapon to fire. As the Furrore approaches closer and closer, the new Furor looks back at the gate to Thirdspace, she looks at the engines of the Invincible finally subducting into the white abyss. This probably would not have been tearful for anyone else except, the new furor aboard this doom vessel is the mother of Deylnn. As she watches the Invincible go out of sight, she smiles, she knows her child has been saved from the deadly hands of Furor Hindrick, and in the end, she got to see him die. His cruel reign was over and soon was hers. As she looks forward at the Capitol Hand vessel, she goes to her chair and sits down in it. As she rests her head on her hand, crunched over like a sack of potatoes left in the hot summer sun, she looks over at the master controls and as she pushes the control to her as removes the key around her neck inserts it into the slot and twists it activating a fusion reactor meltdown. As the impact is only seconds away, the Furrore plows directly into the Capitol Hand Vessel and the superstructure buckles. As the two vessels linger there in space the other Hand vessels come over to help the damaged Capitol Hand Vessel. But as they approach, the fusion reactor goes critical and explodes. A gigantic white ball of light engulfs the ships and fireballs are seen for miles around. As the wave approaches the Artifact, the Artifact's shield reflects the blast and is untouched.


	4. Shadow’s Of Thirdspace

**CHAPTER FOUR: Shadow's Of Thirdspace**

As the Invincible slid deeper into Thirdspace the travel has really vibrated the ship badly, but it is still holding together. As Nanette, Mirra and Iris watched out the window the sights are painful. The space starts out pure ice white that has the affects of that of someone turning on a flood light in the dark, but as the light dims the space seems to be moving in all directions ripping the ship apart. As they view ahead they see a black dot growing larger. Nanette rushes in slow motion towards her chair and slowly sits down; time seems to be slowing down.

As the door opens Deylnn of Sigma 957 steps slowly into the room and then stares at the black dot is if been traced, but still moving. As Deylnn moves towards Mirra they are trying to figure out what is wrong and what is that now giant black dot.

As for Iris he remains by Nanette's side.

As for Spurr he is now noticing the time flux when the pen in his hand slowly hits the floor in what seems to be minutes, but once again time really does not exist. Mira is worried so she goes to Spurr to relay the question "What's going on" because her com is not working. As she enters she too watches the pen make its slow descend to the floor, her eyes seem to remain widen, but to her demise, Spurr's com does not work nether.

In the mess hall, Casthmatic and Jake and the same table that had pinned Jake down are showing strange happenings and when Casthmatic drops the soup it falls down slowly but just seems to hover in mid air. Jake slowly walks to what Jake thought was running to Casthmatic to assist her.

Before the Invincible entered Thirdspace Arimira was all ready heading towards the engine room for the defense grid went down again, but she is then hit by a wave and she feels as if she is walking under water. She finally reaches Gram, but is stuck with him…the door is a slow automatic opener and this time flux has slowed it down slower.

Back on the bridge the black dot fills the entire window and something strange is happening, the ship is materializing into shades and colors, a simple spectrum going into the center of the hole and as the window materializes then the floor and then Deylnn and Mirra, then Iris and Nanette, throughout the ship and the vessel was gone—gone to dust.

As the ship somehow rematerializes and everyone is in a deep sleep, the Invincible itself is all shut down but as the ship looks—it's not the same—it has been altered, changed somehow the vessel has a darker blue color with shifting flesh, there are spiny triennials all over the ship. Inside the skin is lighter blue with lights, crystals, and lots of sounds. The ship has been altered into a hybrid of Vorlon, Human and Shadow, a complete mess! But for the others the same goes with them, some have changed little, or a lot.

On the bridge Nanette has awaken she notices that her ship is singing to her, she is confused, but remembers that there is two Vorlon vessels aboard, but some of the writing is Shadow. As she rises her outfit has also been altered into robes, this gets her attention when she sees her hands covered all in scales, next to noted was the wheezy sound she produced, but she ignores it. As she looks at the other three on the floor she does not notice their alterations at the moment. As she moves the hair out of her face her fingers brush pass scales, flesh, and hard bone. As she touches more of her face it is covered with bone that is even in her hair sort of like Mirra's bone crest, then it dawns on her.

When they entered Thirdspace they were not equal and now they are. As Nanette rushes to Iris, Iris too has changed, he is like a mirror reflection of her, only smaller and younger, as Nanette touches Iris he awakes and moves around slowly trying to adjust to the extra weight, but not this much, it was as if he had just got out of his cocoon a few weeks ago when he was on Vorlon, feeling slimy, sick to the stomach and different. As he looked at Nanette he noted that she to has changed…big time. As they both got up they moved to Mirra and Deylnn, they too were somehow changed, but as closer views of Mirra, he had not changed much which was a relief to Nanette for she did not want to have to explain her actions to the Grey Council. As for Deylnn, he was different, took the genetics of Mirra, this may be a problem with the Minbari because Mirra is of the prophesy of Delenn, but as Nanette banished the though she had to stay clear—we are here to destroy the evil the chaos. With these thoughts she pulled Mirra "You are going to need to council Deylnn—fast."

Mirra looks over and Mirra agrees. As Nanette goes to her new chair, Gram's comes onto the bridge. "Captain Nanette—are you all right?"

Nanette clears her throat, "Yes, and you?"

Noticing Grams new scales and bone structure over his face, and fins on his wrist. Gram looks at Delenn and shakes his head. "Actually—no, do you know how to stop the itching of these scales and how to use these fins—for it really hurts when you bang them into an engine part!"

Nanette's mind is just racing 100 miles per hour. "Talk to Mira, I bet she knows what to do."

Gram turns and then looks at the vessel. "Thank you…oh yes just wanted to say—nice ship—I really love what you've done with it!"

Nanette looks back at Gram. "Why thank you."

As Nanette looks off to the screen the space is black as night and there is a massive electrical storm ahead, the looks of the structure is massive. The electrics are striking the lowlands that overflow red lava from a black tower spewing white plasma. The vast black lights shine tike lighthouses spotlights—searching for lost souls. The city is covered in partial black smog with sudden flashes of lighting. The views are harsh, there are moving objects throughout the city that shift shapes then the electrical storm advances growing, lighting flashing everywhere then the clouds are sucked inward in a upright skyward hurricane, as the space surges the hurricane thrust outward towards the Invincible and 1000 small ships and 70 Capital ships emerge—firing.

The Invincible takes fire, but the organic flesh repairs quickly, stronger, and the ship begins firing back with out Nanette's orders. The Invincible's fire power is highly stronger then the Hands due to the combination of Shadow and Vorlon technology, we would mention Human fire power but compared to either Shadow or Vorlon strength it's just a joke! The small ships are destroyed with ease, but the 70 Capital ships are harder to destroy, but Arimira has an idea, use the Capital ships to destroy themselves. As Arimira has the Invincible turn after being chased by 20 Hand vessels they soon collide with 20 other Hand Capital vessels, thus is reasoned because the Hand follow by the numeric system. It is deadly if used right, but waste less if not more. As the last Capital ship was on fire the Invincible storms full steam towards the Hands only major city. As the ship draws closer more weapons were used till the space was lit up by lighting and gunfire. When the Invincible gets into firing range the ship fires all weapons at the city where the gunfire is coming from setting the city ablaze. As Nanette watches then notices that the real target is the black tower, so Nanette tells Arimira to target the black tower, Arimira does not argue and concentrates towards the black tower. As the Invincible keeps firing, the tower does not fall, but as two minutes come around the tower begins to burn, then the tower explodes. The tower falls on the city and the outpost begins to blowup. The city is demolished.

The space next begins to fall apart, the sky is on fire, and then the space begins to tear apart. As the Invincible hurry's out of Thirdspace, hundred of thousand of Hand vessels are firing at them, but most are not successful. As the Invincible passes out faster then entering the Artifact is falling apart as the Hand vessels flood outward the Artifact erupts and the entire armada is engulfed in fire. As the brightness dims the entire Hand armada has been destroyed. As Nanette looks at Deylnn and Mirra and Iris she is relieved of the end of the Hand war, but as the Invincible turns towards to jump gate space begins to foil—it's Liberator vessels. Then the space opens up and 50 to 100 Vorlon War cruisers pour out of hyperspace intermixed with 100—200 Shadow vessels of all shape and sizes. As the space returns to normal the space is disturbed once again and the fleet Nanette and her crew saw in Shadowspace foils out into regular space. As the vessels hold their positions, the holograph forms of one Shadow, Liberator, and one Vorlon foil in front of Nanette, Deylnn, Mirra, Iris.

"**Has the artifact been decommissioned?**" Says the Liberator.

Nanette nods, "Yes, it has been destroyed with many hostile vessels."

"**Then the Hand war is over?**" Says the Shadow.

Nanette is shocked to see the Shadow's also here, where did they come from? "We believe that to be so."

"**TO BE SO?**" Says the Vorlon.

Nanette looks at the Vorlon's, what is this the first ones field day, and how did they get here? "We only decommissioned the Artifact; we don't know how many are roaming in hyper or regular space."

"**So we are needed?**" Says the Shadow.

Nanette really does not want to argue with the Shadow's, she's always been creped out more by their voices, low, calm, and airy. "Yes, it would be a help, I am going to take my crew to their homes, so if both of your fleets want to help find the hostiles that would be great!"

"**WE WILL DO AS YOU ASK.**" Say the Vorlon. The Vorlon and Shadow slowly fades out leaving only Nanette, Deylnn, Iris, and Mirra on the bridge.

Nanette turns and goes to the com to present a message. "If I could have your attention, I would like to see the entire crew on the bridge—we're going home."

As Nanette watches out window she watches the vessels of the Shadow's, Liberators, and Vorlon's leave her view—for some strange reason she has a bad feeling about letting the Shadow's, Liberators, and Vorlon's back into the young races universe, but she hopes she is only over judging them for their past relationship in the universe.

As she looks at Iris, she wonders if the curse placed against him is gone. As she walks to him she speaks to him privately. "Hello Iris."

Iris looks up at Nanette, the crest bone makes it hear to keep ones head steady, it is an awkward weight. But as Iris's eyes trail off, Nanette looks at Iris's disability as a failure. They did not get rid of it. As Nanette looks at this, she now knows why the universe did this, to keep them closer, she is going to help him break loose of this disease. "Iris look at me, look at my eyes."

Iris looks stressed, but finally has eye to eye contact. "Isn't ironic that I aloud the Vorlon's to change me, because I was always wanting to be normal, and they said they could do that, I always wanted to be pure, and now I am nothing like that...I am a autistic hybrid for pity sakes...I guess I got what I deserved?"

Nanette shakes her head. "No, your different because the universe chose you to be like this...your special...like me. If you want to know a secret to be normal...accept the change, cast out the idea that you are special and those around you will admire you, or they will be envy of you." Iris smiles and nods, the others begin to filter in slowly.


	5. Shadow’s Of Distance Stars

**CHAPTER FIVE: Shadow's Of Distance Stars**

The entire crew is in C&C, Nanette looks at them and them begins her emotional speech. "Thank you for coming, I just got done talking to high fleet command of the Shadow, Liberator, and Vorlon Empires, they have agreed to take on the rest of the war so I am going to take you all home, now I just want to say what a great crew you were and I am proud to have served with excellent people. On a personal note, I want to do is apologies for all the change on the Invincible, and that there wont by any big celebrations when you get home."

Deylnn looks at Nanette, "Why can't we remain here with this ship?"

Nanette looks at the Shadow technology that makes up the ship. "That is a great question, with its new abilities, my people would tear it apart and use it for evil, so I have decided to give it to the Liberator's of X'ha'dum, there it will wait till the dark enemy returns, because evil never dies, it only mutates into a greater power."

Spurr is curious where Nanette will call home. "And what about you, wont your government see this as treason?"

Nanette looks at Spurr. "They wont know, I have asked Mirra to send them a copy of my crew before you, to at least give something to their families, this is a hard choice, but it has been decided! Now I have checked with habitat command to see where you all may fit best, but because your living, thinking people, I will let you decide where to want to go. So I will call your name and you state the planet." Nanette looks at Arimira. "Arimira?"

Arimira thinks of a place. "Epsilon 3."

Nanette nods, she's been there twice, the once home of the legendary space station Babylon 5. Nanette looks at Casthmatic. "Casthmatic?"

Casthmatic is uncertain, but with her new found abilities in breathing fluid she decides to go to Anterian. "Anterian."

Nanette looks at Deylnn. "Deylnn?"

Deylnn looks at Mirra. "Minbar."

Nanette looks at Gram next. "Gram?"

Gram looks at Arimira then at Delenn. "Epsilon 3."

Nanette looks at her child Iris, even her will choose where he will go. "Iris?"

Iris is shocked, he does not know where to go, but since Deylnn is going to Minbar so will he. "Minbar."

Nanette looks at Jake. "Jake?"

Jake looks at the ground and decides it is best to go with his friend Casthmatic. "Anterian."

Nanette looks at Mira, Nanette has an idea were she wants to go. "Mira?"

Mira smiles, thinking of home. "Anterian."

Nanette looks at Spurr, expecting him to also be going to Minbar with Deylnn. "Spurr?"

Spurr looks at Mira, "Anterian."

Nanette is surprised, but moves to Mirra. "And Mirra?"

Mirra looks at Nanette and smiles. "Back to Minbar."

Nanette nods, "Okay, you may go back to your quarters; I will notify you when we approach your planet."

The nervous and frighten crew go to their quarters awaiting departure notice, as the Invincible approaches Epsilon 3, Nanette calls for Arimira and Gram, as they pay their last dues towards Nanette, Nanette puts them in a shuttle and lets them go. As the shuttle nears Epsilon 3, Nanette can not think of why they chose Epsilon 3, but Nanette respects there due's. Next stop is Anterian, home world of the Asmaraqua's, Nanette calls Casthmatic, Jake, Mira, and Spurr to board the shuttle, and they too say a few last words and leave. The last planet Nanette stops at is Minbar, home world of the Minbari. Nanette calls Deylnn, Iris, and Mirra. They too say a few last words and board a shuttle to Minbar. As Nanette pulls away she sets off for X'ha'dum.

Yedor, Minbar—3261. Mirra calls Earth, he brings bad news to the Earther's. "Hello, this is Mirra of Minbar I believe I have some tragic news."

One of the Human's of the high command does not even seem worried, he is calm. "Of what origin?"

Mirra puts a data crystal into the transmitter. "Of your Capital ship the Invincible, I am sending all data to you now."

Mirra shuts off the com. Iris looks at Mirra. "Did you read it?"

Mirra shakes her head as she sits down at the table. "No, I was only to restate that statement then give the information."

Iris looks at the situation oddly. "Well that is strange."

Oceana, Anterian—3261. Mira is welcoming the others. "Welcome to Anterian, we are located at Oceana shuttle port in the Capital of Oceana."

A voice comes behind her. "I don't want to be prudent, but were the capital?"

Mira turns around to see her father, she runs to him a hugs him. "This is my father everyone, dad these are crew of the ill fated Invincible there names are Casthmatic of the ill fated CX Valdi, and Spurr of the ill fated Dolshire."

The father is still soaking wet, "Yes well," he pulls Mira closer and whispers. "But what happens?" Looking at the hybrid crew.

Mira is uncertain what her father is implying, and looks at the group. "Oh yes, the transformation. Do you remember the Hand?"

Mira's father nods. "Yes everyone is at war with them."

Mira shakes her head. "Not anymore, we destroyed the Artifact, but paid with our flesh."

Mira's father looks at his daughters deformity. "Well as I see it I can't complain, we have tried to hybrid you for over five years!"

Mira's facial complexion change. "Yes all we need now is a doctor who can implant aqua respirators. Father we all can breath underwater!"

Mira's father looks at them surprised. "You can?"

Mira smiles. "Yes, we were adjusted on X'ha'dum."

Casthmatic looks at the island they are on, there is no buildings. "I have one question, why are there no building on land.

Mira looks at Casthmatic. "It's because the lack of trees, the CO2 levels are extremely high, that is one reason this planet is band from non-scaled species, the second is a thin atmosphere hence is why we have scales and inner gills, we are free to breathe underwater and above the water."

Casthmatic still does not understand why no one lives above land. "But why are there no old buildings?"

Mira's father fills in the history. "This ties with our history, when your race the Human invented the light bulb we had noted a rapid evolutional change, hence is why we have many birth defects, we were like you, but we destroyed our planet with green house gasses. If your planet continues on its same path it will cause the Human body to rapidly mutate into a form it can survive away from your sun, and usually that is your ocean. Your planet is covered by 79 percent of salt water so was ours almost 200 years ago, Every 100 years we lost 10 percent of our land to water with our harmful gasses. You see, the Human body is almost identical to that of the Asmaraqua's body—carbon—because we are you, we left this planet to find a planet with similar gasses and we found Earth in 3061 and implanted nearly 3 billion of our people in a continent called North America, and Europe—this is why Humans can easily transform into Asmaraqua and Minbari."

Spurr, how is from the dry planet Sigma 957, can't believe his ancestors are fish. "So literally you've used us!"

Mira's father shakes his head. "No we thought our race was doomed, when we begin living under water we sent word back to Earth to come back, but most found compassion on Earth and created family. Most of Earth is hybrids and they don't ever know how to tap into their other biological abilities, our scientist believe your race will be fully transformed by the year 4000. We were so ashamed of ourselves that we even changed our races name to those who breathe air to those who were scaly and breathe in air and in water."

Casthmatic finally speaks. "What were they called?"

Mira's father looks at the Russian. "Before my worlds mutation we were called the Anterians we were as powerful as the Minbari, but no as clean, the ones transformed were named Asmaraqua which means Asmara ancient fish, aquaof water."

Casthmatic looks at the water. "So your race is still evolving?"

Mira's father continues. "Yes and no, we now evolve within our technology and we mutate in our bodies, our scientists say that we have left mutation to evolution. The newest evolution transformation happened 70 years ago, when we were able to survive on land for over two days we had to reliquefy our gills and scales and about 20 years ago that time limit was extended to a week with moisture only on the gills every 4 days, but my people will not rebuild on land, it is best to remain underwater."

Spurr nods, "Yes I see the benefit of that, but your father said one race could harm you, who are they?"

Mira replies knowing that answer. "It was called a Shadow Cloud used by the ancients on one of our distance moons over 1000 years ago, the entire population laid dead."

Spurr insists the questions. "From what?"

Mira looks at the ground. "Planetary disruption, the moon was destroyed from the inside out. Our scholars called it a Shadow Cloud because that is what it is, a giant black cloud."

"Interesting." Says Spurr.

Mira looks over to Spurr. "What's wrong Spurr?"

Spurr's facial complexion changes. "Frighten, we crashed on Sigma 957, I was told we could never leave because of spiders in the sky, now I am here I am once again alone with that fear of knowing that the race that forced us down is prowling the universe."

The father looks at Mira. "What do you mean?"

Mira interrupts Spurr who does not know all the answers. "When we came here we met up with the Shadow's, Liberator's, and Vorlon's—what I want to know is how long does it take a master to become master once again?"

The group now understands Spurr's frustration. Jake decides to talk. "As nervous as we all are, we should be grateful we are even alive, we've just went through hell and high water—no offence of course." Jake looking at Mira's father. "What I am saying is that Casthmatic and I were experiments of the Vorlon's, we were never completed, but we had a life on Earth in two warring countries, but now even we get along, we will make this planet our home and will embrace the gifts we were given."

Mira smiles. "Well said." The others clap their scaly hands that make a sloshing sound.

Landing Port, Epsilon 3. Arimira and Gram walk side by side with fear of why they came. As they turn the corner they run into a ravage five-foot, hairy man. "Good—Good you came Draal will be pleased."

Gram looks at this species, like a miniature big foot. "Who are you?"

The furry creature pauses and laughs. "What—oh, ha-ha-ha, name is Zat'hrus."

Arimira is not sure if that is a name. "Z'athrus, is that your races name or your name?"

"Yes…" Zat'hrus stops suddenly thinking and looks at them. "No-no-no-no--, there are eight of us."

Gram looks at the Zat'hrus. "Eight of you!"

Zat'hrus nods, fidgeting around. "Yes all pronounced different ways—Z'athrus, Za'thrus, Zat'thrus, Zath'rus, Zathr'us, Zathru's, Zathrus', and Zathrus—you understand?"

Gram looks at Arimira, Arimira is as confused as he is. Gram looks at Zat'hrus. "Ya—sure?" Gram looks highly confused towards Arimira. "So what do you do here Zath'rus."

Zat'hrus quickly yells at Gram. "No, Zat'hrus, Zath'rus no more, and I fix for Draal."

Arimira relieves Gram who is about to strangle this fur ball. "Okay—who is Draal?"

Draal appears behind them in holographic. "I am Draal, welcome Arimira and Gram we have lots to do!"

Yedor, Minbar. Mirra is preparing to begin a ritual for the welcoming of Deylnn and Iris, but Mirra can't help but see the agony Iris is in. "Are you all right Iris?"

Iris is having a terrible time with his autism, it keeps setting in, and second his skin keeps moving, changing. "No, it feels as if I am undergoing reformation when the Vorlon's began adjusting me."

Mirra sets down his papers and ritual items. "What do you mean?"

Iris rolls up to expose drying out scales. "The scales are burning and I can't breathe!"

As Iris gets up he passes out from the lack of oxygen and the constant pain. Mirra rushes to his aide and calls for a healer. In two seconds a group of Minbari are around Iris and a bed is brought in, the Minbari pick him up and lay him in bed then rush him to their hospital. As they enter they tell Mirra to stay with Deylnn because his service would only slow down the Minbari doctors. As the Minbari doctors remove the robes to clear any obstructions they are befuddled by the change and reformation of this child, as they search over the entire body they make notes sketches and cliff notes of this person's biology. The bone structure turned out to be quite remarkable, the patient held a Minbari bone crest, but also held an Asmaraqua bone structure complexion. Some of the flesh was covered in dry scales that easily cracked when pressure was applied, thus to the trillion of scales that spread from hairline to foot with no pattern, just blotches where salt and mucus membranes were present like the throat, nose, mouth and so on, but the doctors were about to receive a bigger shock from his mouth, when they checked the trachea and lower throat the entire throat was rearranged. Usually with Minbar and Humans the mouth leads to the trachea which divides into two tubes, the esophagus and the bronchial, but he had three, the esophagus was separated by two tubes leading to his lungs, but even they did not appear to be lungs for most of the sac's were covered in sputum, but most questionable is the skin flaps with tiny bumps, it was as if they were gills, but they were sealed, when one gill was opened and mist was passed through the peak flow monitor raised somewhat. As the doctors thought for awhile it soon became clear, the gills needed to be opened and the patient needed to inhale water at least once a week, second when the patient awoke they submerged Iris's body with water and in twenty seconds the pain was gone. The final prognosis was that Iris was a new breed called Asmarminbari or Asmarbari for short. When Iris learned of his gills and scales had to be constantly moist, he was considering on leaving Minbar to Anterian, but Mirra was asking him to stay.

Oceana, Anterian, As they enter the water for the first time they begin breathing in salt water, the water is not ice cold, but it isn't warm nether, as Casthmatic, Jake, Mira, and Spurr reach the city they enter a massive cave.

Minbar, Yedor. It is almost 10:41pm and Deylnn, Iris, and Mirra are heading towards the legendary City of Sorrows where the Interstellar Alliance was officed. It is extremely late on Minbar because the day ended about 41 minutes ago, so if on Earth it would be 2:41am. Which means you lose four hours. Deylnn slept all the way to the City of Sorrows, Iris stayed awake to view the city at night. The city is gigantic and colorful, mostly light blue, pink, white, yellow, and purple. When the shuttle landed at the City of Sorrows it was evident why this place has been named City of Sorrows—it's old and depressing looking. When Deylnn was finally awakening they all exited the shuttle and walked towards the main ISA building. Mirra showed where Iris and Deylnn were to sleep and they went to bed to be up in five to six hours. Mirra goes to "Church" temple for a private meeting. Once inside it is dark all of a sudden a light comes on and there are eight standing in a circle. "Welcome back Sati Mirra, has the Hand's main's Artifact been destroyed?"

Mirra looks at the Grey Council, he really hates when they surprise him like that. "Yes honored council."

The council members ask again. "And have you've found the replacements for the ISA?"

Mirra nods, "I believe so honorable council."

One of the Worker Caste Members speak to Mirra. "What happened to your personal flier Mirra?"

Mirra answers. "When I landed on the Invincible the crews were embarked for Sigma 957, we then picked up a few new crews and lost the original crew to prisoners, later the Invincible went through the Artifact and we were all altered."

The leader looks at the other two aliens. "Who are the other two with you?"

Mirra looks at them. "The first is Deylnn of Sigma 957, he has experienced in first contact situation and some navigation, and he is very young! The second is Iris of X'ha'dum; he has much experience with medical, but has expressed politics sometimes."

The Leader does not like incomplete information, even incomplete names. "Do these people have full names?"

Mirra nods, "Yes, Deylnn is known as Deylnn Mir, and Iris is known as Iris Ulleskesh Ishermaaltabrutle."

The council looks surprised at one another. "So whom do you have in mind for ISA president?"

Mirra looks at Deylnn. "I was considering Deylnn as president of ISA, and would like to have Iris trained to act the role of Ranger One."

One of the Warrior Caste Members speak up. "Ranger One, are you sure?"

Mirra nods, "Yes, if we are to rebuild Minbar we need diversity!"

A Worker Caste, Grey Council member walks forward to talk to the council. "If I may speak, I agree with Mirra, prophecy says we would need new forms of leaders to strength Minbar."

The head leader walks forward. "Then they will be tested."

Mirra looks at the leader. "How?"

The leader looks at the Warrior Caste. "Take two-caste member of the Warrior Caste, and please be careful, they are part of the Children of Light. Then bring them here; we'll do the rest."

The Warrior Caste nods. "Yes respected leader."

The Warrior Caste member leaves to full-fill his mission. "Tedumshai' and Fakduv—come!"

Tedumshai nods. "Yes sir!"

The Warrior Caste member looks at them. "I have a mission for you." Inside Iris's room Iris remains awake listening to the breathing of his own. Iris has felt uneasy since he has arrived on Minbar, but the main reason why he can't sleep is because of the events at Sigma 957. He lost his home and his friends in a battle he could not comprehend! And now with the others of the Invincible relocated he feels alone in the darkness and Iris watches Shadow's on the wall, he hears chatter outside the wall. It is a deep voice, about late 40s speaking a language he somewhat knew due to the transformation. When Iris tries to listen in by quieting down his breathing the talking ends. As natural as being on the Furrore, Iris gets out of bed and remembers a tight airshaft hidden in the wall. Iris quietly opens the mesh and climbs in closing the mesh behind him. A few seconds latter the doors flung open and two dark figures barge into the room. "Search the room!"

Tedumshai looks around but does not see them. "He's not here!"

The Warrior Caste member rushes in, he is surprised. "Impossible!" The leader enters the room. "I will go to the Grey Council, you two stay here, if he comes here arrest him and call me!"

Tedumshai bows, "Yes sect!"

The Sect leaves, the two other Warriors stay behind. Iris backs down the air intake duct to the roof. When Iris crawled out his hands were cut up and his outfit dusty., but at least there was no one on the roof. When Iris looked over the glassy ledge he measures about a 150-foot drop off to the ground and escape off this ledge would be fatal so Iris went to plan "B", look for another air vent that may lead to a confined area in the superstructure. As Iris found the air duct he climbs in, it was much larger and steeper then the one he came out of, also it was much darker and the bottom could not be seen! But Iris saw no other way and climbed in, the duct was slippery and he slid down the duct for about 80 feet, but thank god there was no sharp crystals or Iris would have been sliced up like a fresh tomato. When the falling subsided Iris crawled through an extremely dusty duct, but at least no spider's webs because spiders don't live on Minbar. As Iris crawled it reminded him of his escape attempt from a Vorlon Lab just before they altered him, but Iris hurried to clear his thoughts and he thought of only Vorlon medical chemistry, thus to confuse any telepath who may pick up his thoughts and if he was found Iris would protect himself by thinking of the machine, its song, its empty promises, and the quotes that can control ones mind: 'Every light casts a Shadow,' 'What is desired,' 'All that is desired,' and 'Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future, and time future contained in time past.' Even Iris is highly confused by the statement. When Iris reached a room it contained Deylnn—the Grey Council captured him. They're were doing something to him, he had wires and tubes all over him and the constant steady beeps of machines reminded Iris of the machine of X'ha'dum even though he was never harmed by it. As Iris looked in a corner there was a triangle device that was literally shooting spider webs on Deylnn. As Iris decided not to save Deylnn—figuring it as a trap, he continued to an empty room. Iris removed the mesh and climbed down into the room, when Iris opened the door there was no one outside so he rushed down the corridor and out the door into the street. When Iris was outside he was weary of the Minbari citizens, but the Minbari either moved to the side or bowed when he approached them. This worried Iris extremely for he was extremely alert! As he went down the street he tried to communicate with one young Minbari. "Nie Iris. Nie zhalen sim oore, Yedor." Translations: I am Iris. I am alone in city, Yedor.

The Minbari is listening, and tries to figure out what Iris is saying. "Su E'san, Min'entil?" Translation: Are you all right, ambassador?

Iris is about to reply, but he gives up. "I am sorry; my Minbari is not well developed!"

The Minbari looks at him, and talks again. "Min'entil is ambassador, are you all right?"

Iris is almost to jump with glee, he speaks English. "Good you speak English!"

The Minbari nods, "Yes I do, it is required that we practice English."

Iris' glee ends, and Iris looks around. "I see, is their an Human or Earth embassy?"

The Minbari points to the building Iris had just escaped from. "Yes ambassador, you had to come through there if you were to live on Minbar."

Iris looks at the place, "No, you don't understand, I was kidnapped I seek refuge and safety!"

The young Minbari is extremely concerned. "Follow me, hurry."

They enter a small crystal building. "Rama, why are you home early?"

Rama looks for his mother but does not see her yet. "This is a ambassador seeking help."

The elder Minbari sound upset at her son and enters the room. When she sees Iris she stops suddenly and gets on her knees and lowers her head where she can only see the floor. Iris is confused. "Rama get on your knees now, you're being very disrespectable to the Ier'ma Valen!"

Rama looks at Iris, the Minbari almost freaks out and he drops to his knees. Iris is not use to this God like state. Nanette was right, respect yourself and everyone will be jealous of you. "Ier'ma Valen, in Valen's name it is true you are the Ier'ma Valen."

Iris looks at this he is horrible confused, Kosh once told him that those altered by the Vorlon's are seen as messengers of God, and if they totally mutate you, you becomes God yourself. Iris, being a devoted Christian gazes upon this manner is unhappy. "I am Iris; do you speak English miss's?"

The elder Minbari, mother to Rama nods, but only inches from banging her bone on the floor. "Yes Ier'ma Valen."

Iris continues this interrogation like approach. "Do you know where the Earth embassy is?"

The elder Minbari once again replies. "Yes Ier'ma Valen. "

Iris is totally confused by their actions. "Not to be disrespectable, but why are you both staring at the floor?"

The ender Minbari responds. "It is disrespectable to look a pond you Ier'ma Valen."

Iris kneels on the crystal floor, but they refuse to look at him. "What is a Ier'ma Valen?"

The elder Minbari pauses for a second, is it possible for the Ier'ma Valen to have been memory washed of his own title. "You don't know?"

Iris looks at Rama, Rama does not even look at Iris. "I just arrived on Minbar a day ago!"

The mother continues the questioning. "Where did you come from?"

Iris is now the one pondering the questions, his memory is tainted by horrible memories of his autistic life. "Well I was born on Earth about 1351 years ago, but with a few years of my life my world was invaded by a race called the Vorlon's. I was taken to there homeworld and altered. When the Vorlon's left with the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum, the Liberator's of X'ha'dum came to Vorlon and reaped the technology including a few cryonic tubes."

Rama's mothers tone changes, fear comes into her voice. "So you are Liberator?"

Iris shakes his head. "No, the Liberator's are not like the Shadow's, they were banished by the Shadow's because the Liberator's were trying to be peaceful."

Rama now is asking questions. "So where are the Liberator's?"

Iris turns hoping that Rama will look at him, but he is just like his mother. "Hunting the stray Hand vessels."

Rama speaks out once again. "How do you know this, asking respectively?"

Iris looks at Rama. "I was the med engineer of the Human research vessel, Invincible."

Rama does not even move, "I see."

Iris back tracks. "You spoke of a word to direct me, and you've haven't answered my question?"

Rama continues speaking. "In our prophecy there were major leaders, one is our most holy leader, Valen. He ended the Great War with the Shadow's and he married a Human secretly and she gave life to three Ier'ma Valen's, which are Children of Valen. They were mix breeds or also called hybrids. They all made a prophecy that they would return to end major wars. The first Ier'ma Valen was Delenn Mir Sheridan, she appeared as whole Minbari, but was influenced by a Vorlon named Kosh Nanarke. Delenn ended the Shadow war and created peace with all species. Delenn married John Sheridan and they had two children, David Sheridan named after John Sheridan's father, and Delenn 2nd who was the Ier'sa Sheridan, she ended the Drakh war and founded the cure to the Earth-Drakh plague. Now we await the Ier'sa Sheridan's return with the Ier'ma Valen who was to banish the ancient darkness forever. The Hand was that darkness and if you're right you defeated the Hand."

Iris shakes his head, "I had help with me."

Rama interrupts Iris. "So did everyone else, the second result is the description of the children, when there were debate if Delenn was Sati we used the ancient scrolls to determine if the descriptions of the Ier'ma Valen was Delenn—and it was. They also state names of the children they are as stated—Delenn, Deltalenn, and Casthmatic, the Children of Light are as stated—David Sheridan and Delenn 2nd, the Children of time are as stated—Deliris, who was created by the marriage of Deltalenn and Iris, this is what fits you in the Children of Valen. The last child we know is the Prosperity of Light, which created one child—Ananette. It also states that Iris was the second to the last father of the Children of Valen and Iris received his reformation from a crumbling world named Z'ha'dum. It state here that Iris lead a fleet to the lush green planet is sector 1257 and turned it into a burning pit of plasma, it say that Z'ha'dum glowed of years with molten rock. The last actions were to destroy their sun to hopefully collapse sector 1257 including the allied worlds of X'ha'dum, and Z'ha'dum, but something went horribly wrong and the suns energy was soaked up by some type of black matter that formed a yellowish—red nebula that swallowed X'ha'dum in a sigma out of distorted time. It was if the Great War had ended the Shadow's vessels and their masters were dissolved into ash. The only way to investigate if the Shadow's were gone was to send someone with enough advancement to survive Z'ha'dum's environment. So the Vorlon's transformed Iris from a full Human to a hybrid. It says that the advancement aloud Iris to move on Z'ha'dum and to chemically breathe the deadly gasses of nitrogen, oxygen, lead, carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur. The other advancement was scales and bone structure. The planet Z'ha'dum was still semi molten and rocks could even crush a Minbari's arm. The scales would reflect heat and add armor if Iris was to come in contact with a Shadow, we did not know that even the Shadow's encounter suit was one giant weapon. To give you an idea one Shadow has the strength and ability to wipe out the entire Warrior Caste. The last entry of advancements was fins and gills in the inner throat; this was added because the Shadow's use a plasma egg to suffocate their victims. With the inner gill slits the victim can breathe the plasma and move within the plasma. The Shadow's went against Iris and something weird happen as Iris was cornered the legend states that 24 glowing eyes engulfed Iris and took him to X'ha'dum to sleep till the time was right for the ancients to get revenge against every species."

Iris is frozen in fear, could the autistic pain been just a cover-up of his past. "And this occurred when?"

Rama answers, "About the Earth year 2010 when the Vorlon's took Iris from Earth to survey Z'ha'dum. That is why we believe you're the Ier'ma Valen Iris; you've awakened from X'ha'dum to cast the ancients into eternal darkness," Iris is shell shock. "But what I want to know is why are you fleeing from Minbar, you're needed here!"

Iris remembers what he saw with Deylnn. "I arrived on Minbar to begin my life over because my past life was on the hellish planet X'ha'dum, which I did not have any freedom. I came here with Mirra and Deylnn, we were locked in rooms and I could hear chatter in religious dialect. They were discussing about test and even pain, so I escaped through the air ducts and found Deylnn, he was hooked to a machine and was being cocooned by spider webs. As I watched my eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. I was endangered!" Rama looks at his mother with concern. Iris was concern why they remained on knee's head down. "Please get up, and face me, it's not disrespectable to me."

Rama's mother, and Rama do not comply, thinking it is a test. Rama's mother replies. "I'm sorry Ier'ma Valen."

Iris is becoming frustrated and takes off his robes to only one robe to shelter his rather deformed body, he walks to the older female Minbari, he takes off her outer robes and puts on his robes on her and her robes on him, the mother is shocked and speechless. Iris is worried that the mother may hurt him, but Iris gets on his knees and lowers his head to mimic to elder Minbari. Iris tells her that she needs to get to her feet because she is the Ier'ma Valen." You are the Ier'ma Valen, why do you bow with me. Get on your feet!"

The woman is refusing and is trying to tell Iris that she is not Ier'ma Valen, but Iris insists that she is. "No Iris, it's a test, I can't be Ier'ma Valen, I'm not pure!"

Iris insists. You are foolish, the Ier'ma Valen would never submit to you, if you are not equal. If you do not get on your feet, then I will have to remain here bowed over till one of you submits to equal us out!" The woman stagers to her feet and begins flaying off the robes in sheer embarrassment. Iris does the same and they trade clothes. Iris had won the argument; he got both Rama and his mother on their feet. When the woman begins to drop to her knees again Iris grabs her by the hand to stop her descent. Rama is shocked, holds his position. The woman looks at Iris in the face and Iris slowly lets go. "Thank you, you don't know how annoying it is to watch only the back of ones head."

The mother is confused, it was not a test? "So you did this only to get my attention?"

Iris nods, "Yes, only to show that we are equal."

The woman looks at Rama and Rama looks back to his mother. "Rama go get so flarn for the Ier'ma Valen!"

Rama nods, "Yes mother." Rama leaves the room only to arrive with a plate of non-smelling flarn. Rama places the plate on the table and bows at Iris. The mother asks Iris to sit on the right side as Rama and his mother sit on the left. Rama and his mother give Iris one piece of flarn and picks up their fork with their right hand.

Anterian, near Oceana. The swim to Oceana provided to be very relaxing, the water is so cold, but it does not seem to trigger any shivering. The water also takes off the extra weight of the bones and scales. Breathing also seems to subside hunger, every time they breathe they swallow small animals that get captured in the mucus and is swallowed, but Jake tries not to think of it. As they approach Oceana the city is like no other, the buildings are glass. There are hundreds of people welcoming Casthmatic, Jake, Mira, and Spurr to their city. As they enter the second tallest building named the Ministry of Visitors, Mira's father shows them to their rooms where they are to read the rules of Oceana. They are home.

Epsilon 3, heading towards the Great Machine. Arimira and Gram are talking to Draal. "Hello, my name is Arimira and this is Gram."

Draal nods, his stern face never changing. "I know, I have observed you and your friends for quite some time, trying to point you the right way, but I never expected you to destroy the Hand's main capital city!"

Arimira nods and smiles. "Neither did I, I thought the Hand would destroy us all, but if it weren't for the Dolshire and Furrore we'd all be dead."

Draal looks at the walls of Epsilon 3, then at Arimira. "That is true, the Hand survivors must be quite upset with you?"

Arimira feels this cold shiver go down her spine, fear of revenge. "Yes they are! So why did you want to see us?"

Draal leads them to a door to which it takes them directly into the heart of the Great Machine. "There is something bothering me."

Gram looks at the massive light show, but the next room will be the most terrifying! "So what does that have to do with us?"

Draal, Arimira, and Gram enter the room, Draal looks at the place. "A lot!" Draal gets up and walks over to a room, Arimira and Gram follow. As they walk through the narrow rocky passage they enter a large machine with electricity everywhere. "You see this?"

Arimira has seen machines, but this is impressive. "Yes it's amazing Draal, what is it?"

Draal looks at the superstructure. "It's called the Great Machine, made by the ancients! When the Shadow war was ended and the space was quiet—so was the Great Machine, but with the Hand gone something has triggered the Great Machine."

Gram looks at the massive pillars which seem to float near the electrified walls. "What's wrong with that?"

Draal looks at Gram, "have you've ever heard stories of Sector 14?"

Gram shakes his head. "No, should I have?"

Draal looks at the steady lightening storm within this gigantic generator. "I guess not, during the Shadow war in 2261 I could not control the machine and a magnetic rift was open. The war could have been altered because the Shadow's were massing fleets for a large-scale attack. Luckily we closed the rift but lost two people in the process. Sinclair and his wife. Now with the rift reopened who knows what it will let in or let out."

Arimira asks the same question again. "So this has to do with us because…?"

Draal turns to look at Arimira. "Because of a second wave of chaos, I will explain, after scanning the universe I found a point in space that was weak then a month latter another point. I used as much energy to penetrate that weak point in space and found a hidden bases and planets. The strongest area is in Sigma 1257KX19. There is a black planet there and the vessels around that planet are made of more advanced Shadow technology."

Arimira looks at Gram in a concern approach. "You spoke of a second base?"

Draal nods. "Yes in Sigma 1980VX18. It appears to be Vorlon." Draal looks at their faces. "What's wrong?"

Arimira looks at Draal, sickness spreads through her, the truth revealed. "We came from that sector."

Draal looks at Arimira. "Which one?"

Arimira looks at the ground. "Sigma 1257KX19, or short for X'ha'dum…the Liberators were banished there by the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum. They're supposed to be the civil ones of the Shadow's."

Draal pause as if a download was just complete, then Draal speaks of his new found knowledge. "Well according to the Great Machine—the Liberators of X'ha'dum were ten times more ruthless than the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum. They even killed their own kind—one thing the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum never did, it was unlawful!"

Arimira looks up, "But the Liberators said they were banished because they were trying to end the war."

Draal nods, "They were correct, they were ending the war, and they were wiping out entire systems in days. The Hand even feared the Liberator's they were pure chaos. The second base is a Vorlon outpost."

Arimira looks at the ground again, she can't believe they trusted the Liberator's. "So?"

Draal looks at the depressed Arimira. "It dates to be the first outpost built to protect their most vital secrets."

Arimira looks up, her face twisted with hatred for herself. "So what do you want us to do?"

Draal looks at the Great Machine. "I have a device that will send an electrical change to disrupt the rift and close it for good, but it has top be taken through."

Arimira now understands the nature of this meeting. "You want us to go, right?"

Draal nods, "That is what I'd hope for!"

Arimira looks at Gram. "We really can't go anywhere, we have no home and if Draal is correct Shadow's, Liberators, and Vorlon's will be hunting soon for us…we'll go, but when?"

Draal looks at Gram and Arimira. "Soon."

Minbar, City of Sorrows. Iris is eating with Rama and his mother. The food is prepared very well and Iris is being treated with the type of respect he has never seen before. As they eat, Rama asks what X'ha'dum really looks like. "Well X'ha'dum is a dark planet like Sigma 957 and Z'ha'dum. When I arrived on the planet I was preparing myself for more altering because every time I was awaken it was to be met with pain, but as I looked up I notice that the room I was in was dark an the box like figures had transformed into giant spiders about six feet tall and six and a half feet wide by the length of its six legs. I should not really be telling you this."

The mother replies. "That's all right, go on."

Iris pause to think then continues with the story. "Well when I was on the planet the creatures told me that I was not a danger if I made myself loyal to them, I was of course young so I did not decline, life meant much to me, but as my stay progressed I learned more of their culture and who they really were. They told me that I was to call them the Liberator's because they tried to liberate so many planets from their children."

Rama interrupts. "Their children?"

Iris nods, a depressed look comes over Iris' face. "Yes, you called them the Shadow's; understand the Liberator's were ancient when the first ones were young. They ruled over every star and when one planet was about to evolve they destroyed that planet, but they used tactics like the Shadow's. In history before 2260 every 1,000 years the Shadow's would blacken planets and destroy advancing races. In 1260 one race slipped through the cracks with the aide of the Vorlon Empire and organized a massive fleet against Z'ha'dum. Sadly the battle was lost, but with Z'ha'dum smoldering the young races with a few first ones were able to hunt out the evil."

Rama interrupts again. "Nobody returns from Z'ha'dum."

Iris nods, "That's correct Rama—nobody…a fleet of 3 to 4 thousand vessels destroyed in a matter of minutes. At this time the Liberator's were punished by the Shadow's and cast them away into eternal darkness. When star chart mapping was finished the Sector 1257 and its planet finally had a name and the Grey Council called it by two words Z'ha meaning broken because of the Shadow's defeat and Dum meaning enemy. The Shadow's were also named; it was Sher'shok dum or meaning ancient enemy."

The mother has a question. "How do you know the ancient dialect?"

Iris ponders on the question. "The Liberator's taught it to me." Iris whispers softly. "Listen carefully; the Liberator's are free in the universe again. It won't take long before they try to reclaim the role as overall master and god. They are first going to alter the past by going to a place called Sector 14." The Minbari look at one another nervously again. "Have you've heard of Sector 14?"

Rama's mother nods her head slowly, and puts her hands up to her chin. "Yes, it's a mythical place where Valen saved the past by taking Babylon 4 1,000 years in the past to create a final base against the Shadow's."

Rama thinks, "So we need to get to sector 14 before the Liberator's arrive there?"

Iris nods, "Yes, we need to first find a ship, then go."

Anterian, Oceania. Mira is talking to her father. Casthmatic and Jake have called Minbar but get no reply of Deylnn, Iris, or Mirra. So they contact Arimira and Gram to ask if they have heard from Deylnn, Iris, or Mirra. When calling they get in touch with Arimira who seems quite content with herself. She tells them the bad news and stresses to get to Sector 14 to stop full out pacifisms. They tell they will try to get to Sector 14.

Sector 14, they year is 2261, two year before the legendary Shadow war. As a Z'ha'dum Shadow scout nears the rift it hold its place away from the rifts core, there it begins transmitting codes into the rift then foils back into Shadow space. A few minutes latter a vessel of Shadow appears out of the rift—it's the Liberators! Back in 3261, a small vessel approaches the rift; its origin is that of a Minbari war vessel that looks like a combination of Human, Vorlon, and Shadow technology. The ancient vessels of Minbar were destroyed in the last major Drakh raids. As the Minbari war vessel holds its position on the left, a jump point opens and a smaller vessel comes out about the size of a White Star—it's a Anterian vessel, to see an Anterian vessel it's quite a rare sight to see, Rama and his mother just are amazed of the aquatic looking vessel. As the two vessels come together a much larger vessel jumps out of hyperspace, it is from Epsilon 3. All three ships are holding their position and the crews are chatting, Rama is wondering why they have moved off the hyperspace jump gate path when they're nearly six miles away from the jump gate. As the space begins to literally open up out come a vessel nearly five miles long, its size mammoths out the other vessels making them look like star furies. As Rama and his mother look back at Iris, Iris smiles and get out of his seat to first hand see the five mile long, Shadow, Vorlon, and Human design vessel. When Rama's mother ask what's the vessels name Iris point to the printed name on the front of the titanic ship, it spells out Invincible. On the com is Captain Nanette. Nanette stops the Invincible outside the rift with the other vessels; Nanette says that she has a new member named Charisma, one of the Liberator's first victims. The name Charisma seems to not fit his character, he is somewhat shy and nervous. Iris sees Nanette over the com, "Well welcome back Iris, and welcome to the crew my new friends." Nanette referring to Rama and his mother.

Iris looks at Nanette over the com. "May we dock in the Invincible's docking bay Nanette?"

Nanette nods, "Go ahead." The vessels land and the crew take their position, as new comers are welcomed. "Welcome to the Invincible, my name is Nanette" As Nanette turns around to view the Vorlon's. "This is Kosh Nanarke, and Ulkesh Kosh. Please state your name and where you come from and why you're here."

Charisma walks forward. "Nanette all ready knows me, but left I left after the Liberator's have devastated the colony I call home, my being on this vessel is to end the war of the Liberator's. My skills are learning the cultures of Vorlon, Minbari, and Shadow. Right now my goal is to gain enough information on the race called Drakh to complete my knowledge of the greatest empires."

Charisma steps back to aloud the next to come forward. Rama walks forward. "My name is Rama, Religious Caste of Minbar; I translate all languages and serve the ancient order of the Anla'shok."

Delteine walks forward. "My name is Delteine, I am the mother to Rama, I also serve the order of the Anla'shok and am Religious Caste."

Nanette nods and smiles. "Thank you all for coming to the Invincible, we may never survive this war, but if we fail the galaxy will be no more. Charisma, please go to Navigation, I need your help."

Charisma nods, "Yes captain."

Nanette goes to her com as the others take their station and prepare for role call. "This is role call; please all call in one at a time for role."

Gram punches the com, glad to be back. "Gram here, engineer in engine room."

Arimira presses the weapons com. "Arimira here, weapons control."

Iris goes over to the Med Bay com. "Iris here, Med Bay healer."

Rama goes to the come, his mother watches. "Rama and Delteine here, mess hall—daily meal is at 5—don't be late."

Casthmatic nods agreeing with Rama, and walks over to Rama. "Casthmatic reporting in, mess halls cook also."

Jake looks at the Mess Hall com. "I'm last, Jake here, mess hall also, but willing to take over security."

Nanette thinks. "Sure, some see me for door code." Nanette looks at Charisma and turns off the com.. "Are you sure you want to follow, we may not be able to return and with biologic microstructure the energy may cause this ship to alter you—it did it to us!"

Charisma smile but shakes his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I am afraid I will have to decline it I have no life no more; I'm only walking grievance and anyway why miss my only chance to go on an adventure?"

Nanette smiles and nods slightly. "Well if I can't change your mind, you better strap in." Nanette goes back to her com. "This is Captain Nanette, all crew strap in—that includes you also Vorlon's—this is going to be a bumpy ride."

Ulkesh Kosh in Nanette's quarters with Kosh Nanarke. "**IRRELEVANT.**"

Ulkesh Kosh remains standing while Kosh Nanarke moves into a corner an crystallizes himself in his chrysalis material. Back on the bridge Nanette gives the go ahead to enter the rift. As they go through, the ride is bumpy, as Nanette had predicted—but Kosh Nanarke knows what is next—time flashes. When Nanette gets up she feels herself pulled backwards and then there is a flash. 3251, "Nanette kept locked on." Nanette is startled, she does not know where she is, when she looks at her hands she has all flesh again—no scales. When she turns her head she sees her Earth Force crew. As the Memories flood back she remembers—this was the moment of the hunt and the Invincible was grounded on a moon outside Earth's Solar System. They were luckily to even be alive. "Nanette dang-it—fire or be removed!"

Nanette looks at the controls of the Drakh enemy. "Yes, Captain, but I suggest the ship to the right."

The captain shakes his head violently. "No Nanette keep to the ones attacking Earth we will have our pants tied over our heads if we verge off!"

Nanette looks at her console. "But Captain!" Time flash ends.

"Nanette are you all right?" As Charisma rush over to her.

Nanette looks at her hands and sees scales. "I was back on this ship when we hunted down the Hand after the Great Burn."

In the Mess hall, Jake go set up the table. Then is caught in a time flash. 1945, "Get down!" The sound of rockets hitting the buildings across the street and it explodes and Jake crawls through shattered glass. Jake now remembers where he is he is in Frankfort Germany. As Jake crawls further down the ally he is hit by plasma. When he awakens he is in a glass tube filled with fluids. The scene is horrifying—there are miles of glass tubes with unclothed species hooked with tubes sleeping in an artificial coma. Jake looks towards his right and sees for the first time his medical advisors—Vorlon's; it looks like Kosh Nanarke, and Ulkesh Kosh. When Jake begins to bang on the glass the time rift ends. When Jake look at Casthmatic, Casthmatic knows that Jake is unwell.

In the engine room Gram was alone, when he got up there was a feeling of a forward thrush and the time flash. 3341, "Gram get up, we're leaving!" Gram has aged extremely about 80-years. He has also changed again he has more aquatic features. He has a deep scar on his face to his neck. When he looks outside the city was made up of glass. It is Minbar. The time flash end. Gram goes to his com and patches into the bridge. "Nanette!"

Nanette still shocked presses the com. "Nanette here, what's up Gram?"

Gram looks around afraid the flash may come back. "Something weird has happened it is hard to explain, but it is as if the scenes of my future came alive!"

Nanette nods and looks at Charisma who is staring at the console. "Don't worry I had the flux to this is probably common."

Gram still shook up looks at the monitors and looking around for an apparition. "All right Nanette, Gram out!"

Nanette looks at Charisma. "Charisma, what's our reading?"

Charisma reports. "We have about four more minutes, we're almost out—recommend everyone to remain seated." 2289, Charisma is lying in bed, it is cold and his head is highly compressed under pressure. When he looks at his watch the date was 2289, that's impossible, but then Charisma remembers the time flash. When he gets up he notices that the skin on his hands is much smoother and softer, but the biggest surprise came when he got on his feet—he's only four feet high, and his feet were as tiny as his hands. He had reversed in age and the effects seemed to also alter his complexion. When he moved down the hall to open a door he was in a giant vessel in space. The vessel was crying to him about the lack of fuel and backup energy cells were destroyed. When he looked at his watch it was now the year 2301. The smooth skin had been transformed into rugged scaly rough flesh, but as he looked at his clothes they were robes that custom of the Minbari. His hands and arms were decked out in wires and tubes from his mouth to a machine that supplied some form of bitter gas. The sides of his neck to his ears were covered with an organic shell. When he waved his hand over the console it turned on and said that ships vitals were critical and subjects life critical, it was apparent that he went through a war. When the space rippled in front of him a fleet of slug like vessels came out of the stars. As they locked on they did not fire—they waited. Charisma found this to be strange then the space turned to liquid and a bluish vessel gulped him up. Time flash ends.

As Charisma looks at Nanette he wonders if this is reality or part of the time flash, but if this is, then it feels very wicked! Nanette looks at Charisma and wonders if he is okay. "You to Charisma?"

Charisma nods, "Yes, but I don't remember even doing whatever the rift showed me."

Nanette looks at Charisma surprised he saw his future, she only saw her past. "You mean you saw your own future?"

Charisma thinks for a second and can't relate anything he has just witnessed to his past memories. "Maybe, if it is so—I hope not!"

Nanette looks confused. "Why?"

Charisma looks at the console. "I was killed, and transformed! It also looks as if the Liberators and Shadow's won the war…what if we'd changed history?"

Nanette shakes her head. "Impossible, we are only to set up a magnetic device to close the past entrance to stop the Liberator's." Nanette is considering the possibility.

In the mess hall, Rama, Delteine, and Casthmatic are comforting Jake. Jake has been shocked and is so scared that he can't talk. As Delteine turns to look at the food she feels herself threshed forward. 2261, Rama is injured badly as metal falls all around her and sparks fly all over the mess hall of the Invincible. It would seem that the Invincible has been damaged badly, but Delteine then notices that there on a planet. As Delteine looks through a hole she sees a yellowish-blue sky—the sky is like that of Minbar. Delteine moves a little and the destroyed ship transformed into a Med Bay—a Minbari Med Bay. As Delteine turns her head, she sees her son—but he has been formed into a female Minbari hybrid.

"**IT'S ISIL'ZAH NA DELTALENN, YOUR DAUGHTER DELTEINE—YOU HAVE TO SURVIVE THE CRASH.**"

Delteine looks around for the voice, the voice in her head. "How, where are you?" Delteine looks out the corner of her eye to see Kosh Nanarke. The time flash ends.

Delteine then sees Jake and her eyes remain wide open. Rama notices his mothers actions and asks if she's okay. "Are you all right?"

Delteine looks at her son, expecting to see her son become a female. As Delteine looks around for Kosh Nanarke, she looks back at Rama, her beloved child. "I am Rama." Rama knows his mother is not completely telling the truth, but respects her reply.

When Rama looks at Jake he feels himself thrusted forward. 2301, As Rama walks outside he notices something wrong with his clothing—it female clothes, as he looks for a mirror, he sees a female hybrid Minbari looking at him. There are cuts on her forehead from large crystal fragments. As she stagers outside there is the smell of burning flesh of dead Minbari. As Rama looks off in the distance she sees blue spidery vessels ripping the city apart. End of time flux.

As Rama looks at his mother he is scared what the future may hold for him and he sees the same fear in his mothers eyes.


	6. Shadow’s Of A Distant Past

**CHAPTER SIX: Shadow's Of A Distant Past**

Sector 14, year--unknown at this moment. As the Invincible begins setting the magnetic discharger to go off in four minutes by radio switch the Invincible is not alone, a half a dozen White Stars enter the sector they are demanding the Invincible to surrender. "Unidentified vessel you're in a restricted area—turn over your vessel to command."

Nanette looks at the ships and listens to the audio. "Who is this?"

"This is Captain John J. Sheridan of the Space Station Babylon 5, who's this?"

Nanette freezes for a second, then a rush of energy hits her, the curse from Iris. As Nanette brushes it off, she gains control. "Captain Nanette of the Invincible, Earth Force!"

Captain John Sheridan looks at the Shadowy vessel. "Earth Force, that ship is not Earth Force protocol."

Nanette looks at the Vorlon-Minbari hybrid vessel in front of the Invincible. "Neither is your vessel captain."

One thing Captain John Sheridan hates most is a smart butt individual who acts stupid when you have your weapons pointed straight down their foredecks. "What is your purpose here in Sector 14?"

Nanette shakes her head and chuckles a little. "You would not understand, or you just would not want to listen to the truth!"

John stands up from his chair. "Try me!"

Nanette looks at Charisma, Charisma shrugs his shoulders. "Well okay, we come from the distant future to the distant past to close this rift before the Liberator's come through."

John stops walking. "Who are the Liberators?"

Nanette at first was going to say Shadow's, stopped herself, but the temptation to ass a little more truth is always more satisfying! "The ancients of X'ha'dum we believe they want to seek their vengeance with the Shadow's of Z'ha'dum."

There is a deafly silence over the com, but Delenn breaks this silence. "You know about Z'ha'dum?"

Nanette hears the new voice and is puzzled how John changed his voice from male to female. "Yes, the once powerful ancient enemy—they're older then even the ancient Vorlon's by at least 1,000 years. The Shadow's cast out the Liberator's because they were older then the Shadow's themselves—rumor has it that the Liberator's were known as the "Right Hand of God", and the "Ancient Darkness". It wasn't till the end of the Great War when the ancients were driven to Sigma 1257KX19."

Delenn interrupts Nanette. "Not to disrespect you, but the Minbari have been as space bearing race much longer then the Humans, we have no such sector called Sigma 1257KX19."

Nanette chuckles, "Of course not, it lied in the rim energy field—created as an isolation sector for the Shadow's worse enemy—the Vorlon's, but the Shadow's figured out that the Liberators are much dangerous then the Vorlon's and sealed them away. It wasn't till 3261 when we went in search of the ancients while whole sectors were being wiped out by the Hand of Thirdspace."

Delenn persuades the statement. "Do you have proof?"

Nanette looks around. "No, unless our transformation is enough evidence for you?"

John interrupts Delenn. "Transformation?"

Nanette looks at her hands, all scaly, but also flesh covered. "Yes, half was due to survive the Hand and the other half was due to the Liberators."

John continues. "What is your crew size?"

"I believe eleven, we have three Minbari, two Epsilon 3, two Asmaraqua, one from Earth Colony, and two from the Vorlon Empire."

John looks up from the floor. "The Vorlon Empire?"

Nanette smiles remembering the Vorlon's. "Yes, Kosh Nanarke and Ulkesh Kosh."

On White Star #1, John Sheridan replies back quickly. "Kosh Nanarke was killed by the Shadow's!"

Nanette nods, "I know, but it might be a trick."

Sheridan goes back to his com. "Follow us."

Nanette knowing that her ship could take them on, decides to follow, five White Stars is to many she wishes to fight. "Yes."

In a few hours they arrive top the Minbari homeworld. Delenn needs to pick up a few items. As the mighty Invincible is stationed about two miles behind the White Star fleet a Minbari personal flier departs for Minbar. As the flier is out of sight the space ripples near the Invincible and a Liberator vessel appears. It fires and rips the Invincible half way because of the organic technology, but the pressure was strong enough to push the Invincible towards Minbar. As the vessel falls it is burning and looks like a glob of shifting metal. When the Invincible hits twenty miles outside of Yedor, the explosion is seen for hundreds of miles. Inside the vessel a metal slab covers Rama. As Delteine looks upward there is a hole in the roof and she can see yellowish-blue sky—the same as to Minbar. As Delteine thinks to herself she remembers the time flux, she remembers everything thing, as she turned a metal beam hits her in the head and knocks her out. As Nanette scurries to Charisma, a metal sheet has knocked out Charisma. Nanette tries to lift the metal off, but it is to heavy, so she opens the door to find Iris or Gram. As Nanette finds Gram he is fine. Casthmatic and Arimira find Nanette and say that they have seen Jake and Delteine, but then tell that Delteine and her son Rama are disabled. So Nanette tells Jake and Casthmatic to go the mess hall to stay with Delteine and Rama, as Nanette and Gram go to help Charisma there are already Minbari removing the metal slab. As the injured and others are either carried or walked out the healers take the injured to Yedor. As Nanette keeps walking she passes out from tremendous pain.

Delenn goes to a healer. "I don't recognize any of their species."

The healer looks at the crew of the Invincible. "Neither do I ambassador, but I have complied a few ideas."

Delenn looks at the burning wreck. "What do you have?"

The healer looks at Delenn then at the injured. "Their species does not entirely exist yet."

Delenn is unsure what this means. "Exist yet—I am afraid I don't understand."

The healer looks at Delenn. "It's quite simple, they're hybrids."

Delenn looks at the healer, she knows that she should be the only hybrid. "Hybrids—how?"

The healer shakes his head. "I don't know, if I knew I would tell you ambassador."

Delenn slightly smiles and bows. "Thank you healer."

Delteine looks at Delenn. In tight airy words Delteine speaks." Hello, I knew you would come."

Delenn walks slowly to Delteine. "What's your name?"

Delteine looks at Delenn, who she wishes she could gaze upon the face of the chosen one, and now she can. "Delteine, and my son is Rama, we are of the Religious Caste."

Delenn looks at Delteine. "What happen to the rest of the crew Delteine?"

Delteine looks at the metamorphosed individuals. "Two ancients did it."

Delenn wonders, "Ancients, you mean the Vorlon's?"

Delteine ignores Delenn's question fatigue and pain only drive her to stay awake. "They were not what I had in mind; neither are the Shadow's."

Delenn's eyes widen at the wearing of the name. "Shadow's, you mean light reflection?"

Delteine looks at Delenn and shakes her head lightly. "No, Shadow's like the ones that come straight from your worse nightmares!" Delenn looks at the healer with concern, Delteine thinks she has angered her. "I'm sorry Isil'zha Na, I offended you."

Delenn looks down at Delteine and smiles. "No it's all right." Delenn seems puzzled by Delteine's last selection of words. "Do these ancients have a name Delteine?"

Delteine looks at Delenn, tired she speaks. "Yes, the first one would be from Thirdspace, I was not there, but I did eavesdrop on their name, the Hand. The second ancient is from a dead planet called X'ha'dum; it is home to the Liberator's, the parents of the younger Shadow's. We came from 3261 to 2261 to stop the Liberator's from destroying the Shadow's and Vorlon's. Lets just say that the Liberator's are upset with us, did the Invincible kill anyone?"

Delenn looks at the meadow. "Not what I know, the ship did destroy an entire city, but that is only speculation."

Nanette wakes up, she sees Delenn.. "Hello Delenn Sheridan."

Delenn is trying to stay ahead of the crew. "Hello, you are"

Nanette looks at Delteine whom is hurt badly then looks at Delenn. "My name is Nanette, the once captain of the Invincible, attached to the Earth alliance."

Delenn looks at the scales, and fins that cover Nanette's body. "You don't look like a Human?"

Nanette smiles slightly, it hurts to do so. "I was transformed by Kosh Nanarke to defeat the Hand."

Delenn does not settle with this too well. "Kosh was killed by the Shadow's!"

Nanette seems puzzled. "No the Vorlon does exist!"

As Delenn continues arguing, Kosh Nanarke steps out of the Shadow's also with Ulkesh Kosh. Delenn looks at the Vorlon's, her mouth almost drops. Wonder if it was an illusion, Delenn walks slowly up to the two Kosh's. "Kosh! We thought you have died?"

"**YES.**" Says Kosh Nanarke.

Delenn looks at Ulkesh Kosh. "Who are you?" Directing the question to Ulkesh Kosh.

Ulkesh Kosh looks at Delenn, he knows that she does not know him--yet! "**KOSH.**"

Delenn looks at both Vorlon's. "You both are Kosh?"

Kosh Nanarke looks at Delenn. "**WE ARE ALL KOSH.**"

Delenn is still shocked to see Kosh alive. "But the Shadow's killed you Kosh, we saw your encounter suit, or what was left of it?"

Kosh Nanarke nods, "**YES.**"

Delenn is extremely puzzled. "But how?"

Kosh Nanarke answers one last time. "**WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE.**"

Both Vorlon's leave the room. Delenn is lost in transitions and ties her attention to the injured fish looking species. "Now captain, explain to me if you can," Delenn walks over to Nanette and touches Nanette's hand to feel the slimy scales and flesh. "what is your race, you have resemblements that of the Anterians, they are the only group that somewhat resembles fish."

Nanette looks at her hands, "The species I share is a young race called Asmaraqua, native to the planet Anterian. You see, most of my crew has somewhat Asmaraqua in them because the species genetics is actually ours. We have found that only a few races can be breed with Asmaraqua—races that have water on their homeworld and races with double helix DNA strains like the Humans, Minbari, and once the Vorlon's."

Delenn looks at the slimy scales. "How suitable?"

Nanette rest her tired hands down and looks at Delenn. "Well quite, in Anterian history they battled the Asmaraqua's for years. It was latter found that one hundred Anterians would battle fifty Asmaraqua's, 15 Anterians would die, but seventy would just simply disappear—no body—no evidence. When the Anterians battled the Asmaraqua's over 500 years ago, there was 30 million Anterians, and one million Asmaraqua's, when the war ended 1 million Anterians died and 20 million Anterians disappeared. When the count was concluded there was only nine million Anterians left on the planet and there was 21 million Asmaraqua's left on the planet."

Delenn looks at the crew. "Are you sure about your statistics?"

Nanette nods, "Yes."

Delenn thinks of the mathematics. "If there were only one million before the war, where did the other 20 million come from?"

Nanette looks off in the distance. "They were transformed."

Delenn looks back at Nanette. "How?"

Nanette looks at Delenn, "The blood of a 'pure' Asmaraqua has the capability to transform one other."

Delenn looks at the blood on Nanette's own uniform of the Earth government. "Can you transform others?"

Nanette shakes her head gently. "No, I'm a hybrid, not a 'pure' breed."

Delenn sits down and ponders on genetics. "So they have the ability to spread their species?"

Nanette nods, "Correct, so the Anterians had a master plan. It was to use nuclear weapons against the ocean to destroy all life in the ocean to kill all Asmaraqua's. When all nuclear weapons went off, the ocean seemed to only warm to about 70 degrees and reflects the deadly radiation and blast cloud over the surface of the entire planet and cook the atmosphere. The radiation caused non-stop rainstorms and the temperature melted all the glaciers and ice fields. The sea level rose non-stop in one day from sea level, which are zero feet to 30,000 feet covering all land except for four 32,000 feet mountains. To this day the Anterians are extinct and the Asmaraqua's are the dominating species."

Delenn looks over to the healer, and she gets up. "Thank you captain."

Delenn walks out of the Med Lab to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In the ICU Charisma lied on the table with a 20 percent chance of living. Delenn knew that Charisma would not survive so she wants to make a deal with Nanette. "Nanette?"

Nanette looks at Delenn, wondering why she returned so quickly. "Yes Delenn?"

Delenn looks at the area where Charisma is dying called ICU. "You know of your Human?"

Nanette looks at Delenn, "Yes, Charisma how is he?"

Delenn shakes her head. "Not well, he is dying, so is Rama."

Nanette's heart just drops, her second adopted child, dying, the other, an autistic. "What do you want me to do?"

Delenn lowers herself down to Nanette's bedside. "Let's try a chrysalis with Minbari and Asmaraqua DNA to repair them."

Nanette looks at Delenn, "Would it work?"

Delenn does not know. "I am not sure, but if nothing is done they will die."

Nanette thinks to herself them makes a decision. "I say yes for Charisma, but you need to talk to Delteine about Rama."

Delenn looks at Delteine and nods, "Okay Nanette." Delenn gets up and walk to Delteine's bedside. As Delenn goes to Delteine, Delteine is resting and as Delenn's shadow covers Delteine, Delteine opens her eyes. "Delteine I need to speak to you."

Delteine looks at Delenn, "Yes?"

Delenn takes a chair and sits down next to Delteine. "It's about your son Rama…he is seriously injured and dying; I think it would be wise to use a chrysalis to help him recover."

Delteine pauses for a second...a chrysalis is a holy object that only a selected few get to experience and Delteine's son has been chosen, but not because of prophecy, but because of the fact he is dying. Delteine looks at Delenn and nods her head, choking on her own words, the words to change Rama's future. "I believe it is necessary, do it!"

Delenn nods. "All right Delteine, you rest you need it."

Delteine closes her eyes, "Thank you." Delenn heads back to the ICU where she tells the Healer to get the triluminary and goes to Nanette to have her and her own DNA to be the chemical. When the collection is finished Delenn is ready to begin the chrysalis for Charisma and Rama.

Nine months later—Minbar, Yedor

* * *

**Enigma Letter Scroll of Darwinism**

**By: Charisma, Navigator of the once Earth Force vessel Invincible**

**_Note: the "Enigma Letter Scroll of Darwinism" is the note is new species introduced. It is a well-described, characteristic, detailed spread chart of the new species._**

**Asmaraqua:** Home world is Anterian. The species is only 500 years old (As of 3261). The characteristic's of the Asmaraqua is as added: live to 100 years, there bone structure is massive, 200 extra bone then the average Human. The respiratory system is also highly advanced; the lungs are covered with a oxygen rich sputum to prevent particles impacting the lungs. Above the lungs are 12-gill slits within both bronchioles. The science behind this chemical action is quite complicated! The flesh is replayed with scales over as much as 80 percent of the body. The main language is English above the water, but ESP while under water. There main food supply is small fish and plankton. On land they eat regular food. There the only species to have hair underwater, although they keep it neck length. Seeing and hearing is extremely advanced because water enhanced most scenes. Diseases are rare an illness is uncommon. Reproduction is basic. As for emotions they have expressions for love, compassion, anger, and frustration. The Asmaraqua's culture is complex is complex, even though they have scales the culture wears clothes that are made of a material that is scale, and skin tight and made of Earth like plastic. As for the planet it is mostly covered by water. The most biodiversity is also underwater because the four islands are to radiate to support life.

_**Thanks to Casthmatic and Jake for there insight of information to compile this report.**_

**Asmaraqua hybrid: **I can vouch for this; one of my DNA is Asmaraqua. An Asmaraqua hybrid looks like an Asmaraqua only more flesh and less bone. Scales range to 50 to 60 percent of the body, the respiratory track is advanced highly also, the gills are internal as that with the Asmaraqua, the only difference is the water cycle. We have to breathe in and out of our mouth, when the Asmaraqua's breathe it's through their neck, they really have no need for their mouth. The bones do not protrude over the face; plates are usually internal through out the entire body. Average life span is unknown, but will be hopefully calculated. Diseases are rare. Reproduction is also unknown; this is in fact a rare species.

_**Thanks to Charisma, Jake, and Casthmatic for there insight of information to compile this report.**_

**Asmarminbari hybrid:** This would be what I am called; the Asmarminbari hybrid is quite a strange species. They have characteristics of Asmaraqua's and Minbari including one additional species DNA other then Asmaraqua or Minbari. The key point characteristics are that of the Minbari bone crest with bone above the eyes and extending down to the cheekbone. Scales cover foot to waistline on the arms to the elbows and only bottom on the hands. Another feature is fins; there is one fin on the arm that extends from pointer finger and thumb about six inches down the bottom side of the arm. Another fin is on the outside of the legs; these fins are quite long due to their construction is made for water to swim quickly. All species of Asmaraqua's have the same fins hence it's the first to develop and prove to be useful if in water. Life average is unknown, same as with reproduction and culture for the race is only one year old. This race is extremely rare.

_**Thanks to Iris, Charisma, and Nanette for there insight of information to compile this report**_

**Asmarvorlon hybrid:** _There is only one person that falls under this race, this person wishes not to have the race described in this report. Request has been respected_

**Liberators:** The Liberators home world is X'ha'dum, a shadow of Z'ha'dum during Z'ha'dum's destruction at the turn of the Great War in 1261. The Liberators are seen with a transcendental view or thought to be god like—well their not! The Liberators or known as to the Minbari as the "Race of Darkness", or to other races as the "Ancients". Even the Shadow's are afraid of the supreme like race. The Liberators look almost alike that to their young beings, the Shadow's; the only external signal is the fused crest ridge around the head. They have an extremely lethal tempter if made mad. They have a well-developed government called the Shadow Council, that depends mostly on the reenactments that of the Human Judicial System. Do not out think the Liberator vessels. It is twenty time powerful then the average feared Shadow War vessel. We do not know how the Liberators reproduce, heck we don't even know their gender! To briefly describe X'ha'dum according to Nanette, the once captain of the once research vessel, Invincible. The planet itself is unreachable; it is concealed within a plasma rich environment in a sigma of its own. I can't give the dial number because it's too dangerous to even venture there. We can only tell you this—pray to whom you worship—you probably will soon meet them if you venture to close.

**Children of Resperlizers:** Little is known of this group. It was stated that this group was commissioned in the late 1930s as a genetically engineered Human to serve the United States CIA, now embellished, but served as co—ops for later empires. As empires grew—so did the Children of Resperlizers. The main safe place for this group is to live and survive in the aquatics with an alien race called Asmaraqua's during the Anterian war. Reason why most Humans are either hybrid of Minbari or Asmaraqua For years the Resperlizers depended on water for life, but new transformation brought on new changes. Now this species can live on land and under water. These people do not live by a government and only depend on one another. This race is now living free of shame and guilt and has successfully transformed most of the Human race into Hybrids. It is rare to see a "pure" Human.

* * *

Delenn in the other room packing up Charisma's stuff, wonders where Charisma is, "Charisma?"

Charisma closes his book. "Coming."

Charisma walks to the other room after leaving his book closed to not reveal his work to the others. In the other room are Delenn and John Sheridan with impatient looks on their faces. It takes Charisma awhile to walk over to Delenn and John because he has shrank in size and decreased in age about nine years old now. Second, if odds were against him, the transformation mutated his legs and the three species could not mix thus leaving him immobile on land, but not underwater. So the Minbari devised equipment to help him walk, but even the equipment was somewhat flawed. Charisma himself has somewhat transformed into a series of species that to the eye seem non-threaten! Charisma himself is more content with himself since arriving on Minbar. The Minbari have treated him well and Delenn and John have adopted him with loving care. This is the life he has dreamed about, no more running, he can rest—in peace. As Delenn looks at Charisma, they are in a hurry for the departure. "Charisma, Nanette has purchased a vessel and the crew is leaving, do you want to depart with them?"

Charisma is thinking deeply, the one question he does not really want to answer. "No, I have decided to remain here; I believe this is what my purpose is—to fight the darkness."

Delenn drops his stuff, this was not the answer she was expecting. "Are you sure, this may be your last chance to return to your time?"

Charisma nods, "Yes, I am positive."

Nanette is speechless but decides to grant Charisma's wishes. As Nanette and the crew board the new ship she is silent. Charisma looks as the vessel launches off, never to see it again. As the vessel nears towards the rift in Sector 14 Nanette is prepared to finish her mission. She sets the timer to the explosives to trigger the explosions. As the vessel goes through there is an explosion from within and the vessel is sent tumbling towards the right side of the rift. When Nanette looks to see what struck her it is to her surprises to see a massive Shadow vessel, which is usually much smaller, then the Liberators vessels. As Nanette watches the Shadow vessel foil out of view. She notices that the explosions are going off, so much electrical currents are hitting the ship that the one third of the crew disappear lost to an alternate space. As the doomed vessel plummeted to chaos everything was being thrown everywhere. As Nanette went to the barren console to reestablish her monitoring affords the ship emerges out of the time rift into an unknown dated space. The non-named vessel was now lost in time. As Nanette stabilized herself after the reaction of being in a clothes dryer, she called roll call, to see how every one is. "This is Nanette I am going to call out names please respond and state if you need medical attention. Delteine?"

Delteine looks around, her son is gone. "Here, but my son is missing he vanished in front of me."

Nanette missed the second part, and goes on with the second question. "Do you need medical attention?"

Delteine looks around, where is he at? "No I am all right."

Nanette goes onto Gram. "Gram?"

Gram goes over to the com, he is cursing at the engines. "Here, engines are down, but I will have them running within the hour."

Nanette replies hearing vulgar language in the background. "Are you injured?"

Gram patches in again. "No, just cuts and bruises."

Nanette goes to the next name. "Iris?" No reply. "Iris are you there?" No reply. Nanette patches to Delteine, who still is freaked about her missing child. "Delteine can you go to the Med Lab to check on Iris he is probably injured?"

Delteine looks around then presses the com, "Will do so." Delteine leaves to find Iris.

Nanette goes to the next name, "Arimira?"

Arimira presses the weapons com. "Here, I am fine, but the weapons systems have been seriously fried, it will take awhile to restart basic shields—so don't get into any firefights."

Nanette looks at the crisp bridge. "Don't worry I wont." Nanette goes on to the next name. "Jake?"

Jake patches, he too is freaked out at seeing the disappearance of Casthmatic, his friend! "Here, I am fine, like Rama, Casthmatic is gone."

Nanette looks at the papers of people who did not check in. "Gone, how?"

Jake patches in again. "I don't know?"

Delteine patches in. "This is Delteine, the Med Bay is a mess, but more disturbing is that Iris is not here he too is missing."

Nanette is thinking to herself. "Delteine, have you ever worked with navigation consoles?"

Delteine stops for a second, but answers. "Yes, I once served on the front lines."

Nanette nods. "Good I need you up here." Nanette meets Delteine as Nanette shows Delteine how to take over the console as Nanette goes to inspect the Med Lab for Iris, but finds nobody there. Nanette goes to her quarters to speak with the Vorlon's for assistance, but the Vorlon's are quite clueless at first what Nanette was asking them, then it make since. The blue Vorlon named Ulkesh with his sour personality stated that they are lost in an alternate time due to electric discharge within the rift. The brown Vorlon interrupts Ulkesh and states that we too are unstuck in time. The only possible way to open the rift is to go to Epsilon 3 to restart the Great Machine because the electrical discharge must have shortened the machine. Nanette leaves the Vorlon's and checks with Gram to see if the engines are up and they are, but weapons are still down. Nanette goes back to C&C where Delteine is awaiting further instructions. "Your ready Delteine?"

Delteine looks at all the buttons and screens. "Yes, as ready as I will ever be!"

Nanette goes over and sits down in her chair. "Good—then set course for Epsilon 3!"

Delteine looks at Nanette, "Epsilon 3, yes Nanette." The vessel now named Armada heads to Epsilon 3 without three of its crewmembers.


	7. Shadow’s Liberated In The Past

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Shadow's Liberated In The Past**

It is dimly lit in the room where Iris sits in pain of the energy distorting his young figure. When the pain subsides away he realizes that he is no longer on the vessel the Minbari gave to Nanette to get the crew home, instead he is in bed with tubes and wires inserted in an assortment of machines. He thinks to himself "am I dying?" As he looks around the small room it is indeed a hospital, but what day is it? Iris checks his watch the date is June 13th, 2010, the day when the Liberators took him away from Vorlon control. That's it I am on Vorlon, it would explain the reason why the machine felt—well living. He remembered this day his transformation was complete and he was ready to be sent back to Earth in 1910 to finish whatever life was ahead of him, but this never happened, the Liberators attacked this Vorlon outpost and stole him and many other to use as possible servants to the Eye. Iris tries to break away, to hide, to prevent the future, but the organic matter holds harder and injects a sedative to make the muscle tissue not respond to brainwaves commands, sort of like an artificial dystrophy. As Iris lay there, he heard the sounds of the terrifying screams in his skull and then everything went black.

On Minbar the sun rose slowly and calmly as usual as every morning. Rama was thinking to himself: What a beautiful sunrise…am I forgetting something? Oh yes my breakfast—latter. Rama sat quietly listening to the wind blow calmly from the west—the same direction he was watching the sun rise. West to east unlike Earth's east to west, but this did not matter—he was forgetting something? As Rama thought deeply memory flashes of the painful exit off the Minbari vessel Armada. He remembered, what happened to the Armada? As Rama thinks about it the more he wants to investigate so he gets up from the chair and walks from the porch to the dining room, when he arrived into his bedroom it is not what he expects to find, he sees clothing that appears to be female dress entire, that makes him look at his clothing and notices that he is wearing female clothes of a highly ranked person, about ambassador level, as he looks into a mirror he does not see his complexion, it's a females complexion—and hybrided. With seeing this she faints from over exposure to stress. Two aides run in and help Rama to her feet, but she is not responding so they take her to the Med Lab.

When Casthmatic turned her head, an pinkish purple beam slices through a ship and 12 more beams slice alien ships to incinerated ambers, when Casthmatic focuses her eyes in deep space she sees two type of spidery vessel with one strange looking vessel. One blue spidery vessel, one gigantic deep black spidery vessel and the other is a medium size transparent vessel, it's the Shadow's, the Liberators, and the Hand. "No they were all destroyed, Thirdspace crumbled!"

Sound comes into her head set. "Casthmatic deflect off course now!"

Casthmatic pushed downward on the navigation console and the vessel near misses a Liberator vessel, but now the new problem is the planet that her ship is plummeting towards. As the vessel enters the atmosphere Casthmatic knows that pulling upward is suicidal and tries to decrease speed. As the planets surface is in view she moves the navigation console upward extremely slowly so not to plow into the planets surface. As she begins climbing out of the planets atmosphere she emerges into space and is nicked by a Shadow vessel. With the near miss the Shadow vessel fires again at Casthmatic's vessel. The vessel misses and the little vessel under controlled by Casthmatic enters hyper space on retreat, as Casthmatic watches the battle from her console her fleet is being destroyed, hundreds of thousand of spidery vessels keep foiling out of Shadowspace splitting the allied vessels to burning cinders. As Casthmatic views the fall of the allies she cries, but the ship is heading somewhere and she does not have control of it. As the vessel jumps out of hyperspace there is a dead planet in front of her, the ship is taking her to Sigma 957—the home world of the Eye. The vessel enters the atmosphere and heads straight down at the ground. The vessel is out of control a then hits the ground and goes right through. When Casthmatic notices that she is alive she looks out her window to view an ancient city about two to three billion years old. Could it be the Eye's city, and if so, why is she here? When the landing gears settle the ship lands and Casthmatic feels herself being released from the ship. As Casthmatic pushes herself off the seat she is forced down again to the leathery seat. It is wires; she has been wired to the seat with tubes and wires—for what? Life support? No, she'd be dead! As Casthmatic unwires the wires from her flesh with the tubes she gets up and walks outside. The air supply is stagnant, only a few light remain on, but it is lit enough to see the giant black gates. It was true, and of the horror stories of massive armies of darkness serving the Eye. As Casthmatic glared at the titanic gates she hears a faint whisper in her head, it is a maculate voice talking to her in some type of alien language. When there are flashes within the cave there is a low rumble as the greenish black gates quake as if a wave of water had hit the wall. When the rumbling increased the towers lit up and a whitish blue tornado forms. The tornado cuts through the roof of the cave and emerges out of the planet. The beam hits Trinus 7 and then the tornado shifts to a planet 90 light years away called Arithmetic 101 where the planet implodes and forms a white hole right dead smacked within the younger races planets like Earth, Narn, Minbar, Centauri, Vorlon, Beta 7, and other non-aligned worlds. The enemy is moving! As the once planet shifts the white hole takes shape in a giant Shadow's Eye. As Casthmatic was watching the tornado like spire of light, Casthmatic figures to watch from a different spot. When Casthmatic hid, the gate opened and out emerged a army of spiders marching outward towards the vessel, when Casthmatic saw her vessel she knew they would search the cave. When she looks at the ship it disappears—gone like that. The army did not even see the ship. As Casthmatic became bored she looked down a second only to raise her head in a sharp manner. There was a sharp scream of a creature that looked like a snake with thorns protruding on its sides of its heads. Its wings, shifting with black plasma much like the body had a span of at least 100 feet with six-foot spikes on every skeleton bone, but most alarming was its navigator, scarier then its creature it had a humanoid structure, but well armored. It had five fingers each six inches long with a spear at the ends. Its chest was an arrangement of plates with spikes on the sides. Its head was like a Shadow's head with 24 eyes glowing yellow, no nose, no mouth. Its grip on the creature was not needed; it is part of the creature—like a parasitic Shadow host. As the dragon like creature screamed out the pitch was head aching. Then the creature took off flying above the spider army. As the cavern filled with spiders Casthmatic felt hopelessness set in. when the tower finally closed and the tornado ended—leaving this place was the first thing on Casthmatic's mind.

When Iris finally woke up he noticed that he was lying on the warm floor, the smell of sulfur stung his senses and burned his eyes. It reminded him of the time he was on X'ha'dum and became victim of the Shadow's parents—the Liberators, but he left that place almost a year ago. When he looked out the window he saw a fiery landscape of massive monoliths and the Eye's tower. He was back on X'ha'dum, as he looked around he saw himself in a mirror as his old self before the Liberators "cleansed" him. As Iris looked around he wanted to find a way out—but always came up negative. When he turned a corner he had never seen before a bright light flashed in his eyes and he passed out.

Back on Minbar, Rama was awaking since she passed out. The voice she heard calling a name she did not recognize woke her up. "Deltalenn, wake up!"

Deltalenn looked confused at the healers staring at her. "Who is Deltalenn?"

One of the healers looked at the other and said. "Can passing out cause forgetfulness?"

The other healer looks at the other and shrugs her shoulders. "I am not certain, Ambassador Deltalenn are you all right?"

Rama looks at them confused. "Who are you?"

The healer also appears confused at Ambassador Deltalenn's forgetfulness. "I am your aide ambassador."

Rama looks at his aide. "Who is this Deltalenn person you speak of, does this person have importance to me?"

The aide nods slowly it seems. "Yes I hope so she is you."

Rama shakes his head violently. "I am Rama, you must be mistaken, and I need to get back to the Armada I have to warn them of the possible Shadow and Liberator joining!"

The aide's whisper. "You said your name was what?"

Rama looks at his aide. "My name is—is I can't remember." Rama is losing his memory to Deltalenn's memory, not his, but her own.

The aide continues. "You also speak of Shadow's? Deltalenn, do these Shadow's cast their shadow on a planet?"

Deltalenn actually now answers under that name without resistance. "Yes once Z'ha'dum, but its been destroyed."

The aide gets up, leaving Deltalenn on the floor. "Ah—no Deltalenn, Z'ha'dum is still around."

Deltalenn is confused. "What is the year?"

The aide is horribly surprised at the amnesia Deltalenn has developed. "It is 1289 ambassador." Deltalenn is now horrible confused. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"No!" Deltalenn gets up and begins slowly for the door as she reaches the door a painful shock rattles throughout her body. As she looks at the hall it turns white and it fades away.

As the blackness fades into light, the light blinds Iris. As Iris is looking around he saw himself, it was to late, and he was "cleansed". He was dressed in white, blonde to grey hair that used to be dark, eye color pigment altered from greenish grey to deep blue. The majority of his scars on his face were gone—replaced by pure white skin. His complexion appeared young, about nine years from twenty years. It was just as Iris remembered, but one question still burned deep down inside, why did the Liberators not infect him? He did not know why, he only knew he was alive. As Iris moves the environment is cooler, not hot from the volcanic activity, as he looks out the window he is in the Liberators youngest city. Most of their servants live here. As Iris hears a noise he turns to confront one of the servants who is to bring him to the Shadow Council. As Iris walks to the Shadow Council he felt he was walking on his own grave. As he entered the black chamber the smell of must fills the air, the only smell the Liberators expire. As Iris faces the creepy Shadow Council the oldest one begins the meeting. "**Name?**"

Iris looks at the Shadow council."Iris."

"**You were an Earthier?**"

Iris nods, "Yes, until the Vorlon's abducted me."

"**Yes we know. The Eye senses your fear.**"

"I am only confused of the past and future, I've been touched by the future to see what will happen."

The Shadow's look at one another."**Explain**"

"A ship called the CX Valdi will be destroyed and the Invincible will be here to look for help to fight against the Hand."

"**Hand?**"

Iris nods, "I've seen that you've known them; they were your once feared enemy until there defeat sent them to Thirdspace. The Invincible contains the nine needed to stop the Hand in Thirdspace. You must not destroy this ship, bring it to the city, and see what I say then you will know I only speak of the truth because I am one of the nine"

"**Do you have a question?**"

Iris ponders for a second. "Well—yes I do, last time I was here I did not ask a question that I have wanted to ask deeply! With respect can you tell me why you left my personality intact? You would have inserted me into one of your war ships."

The Shadow Council ponders for a second."**Yes.**"

Iris double-speaks the Shadow's to make them reconsider. "So why did you not with regards!"

The Shadow Council speaks softly to one another. "**We have rendered our decision Iris.**"

Deltalenn laid on a stone floor shivering with cold sweat running down her forehead. As she rubs off the fluid she noticed that she was still a hybrid, and a female, but as she looks around pillars surround her with information written in old text. As she walks through an arch holding up the low roof she emerges into the second chamber and it is all lit up. The chamber is twice the size of the first chamber and there are monoliths and far off in the distance is a pyramid with a glowing light going down its front, as Deltalenn stares at the light she feels her body changing and then finds herself in front of the pyramid as she walks in the pyramid it is thrust into history that seems irrelevant until she sees herself in the year 1289. "Deltalenn?"

Deltalenn turns around to see her mother Delteine. "Mom? How did you get here?"

The figure shakes her head gently. "No, I am not your mom, you see me this way because it is pleasing to your eye."

Deltalenn looks at the ancient city. "What is this place?"

The apparition walks up to Deltalenn. "I can tell you what, but not where."

Deltalenn nods, "Fine with me."

The apparition looks at the walls. "We brought you 20 miles underground in a sector unexplored by your younger races. Your race and many call us the Race of Light."

Deltalenn has heard of this Race of Light in myths. "The Race of Light?"

The apparition nods. "Yes!"

Deltalenn looks at the apparition with bewilderment. "But then you are the oldest race?"

The apparition shakes her head again. "No, darkness always comes before light we are the third oldest race, the oldest race is a race you call the Liberator's, or the Race of Darkness, they once were called to be servants to our developing races, but they wanted us to be just like them, when we refused they hid and somehow impregnate their race to birth the race called Shadow's, then we formed, followed by the Soldiers of Darkness, Vorlon's, Hand, Zog and so on."

Deltalenn looks at the glowing text on the walls. "I see, not to digress off the subject, but where do I fit within the time line; heck I even lost my true form!" The one who is representing the Race of Light is laughing. "What's so funny?"

The apparition looks at Deltalenn. "This is your true form, the other form is just makeup to protect you during childhood, but it is time to reassemble the Children of Valen, and Children of Light."

Deltalenn whispers, "The ancient Minbari prophesized."

The apparition nods, "Yes, I know. During the time of Valen the Shadow's and Liberators cast their shadows over every planet, star, and ship." Babylon 4 appears. "When Valen came the tides of battle were equal and the Shadow's were defeated to their homeworld Z'ha'dum." Z'ha'dum replaces Babylon 4. the planet is dark green with only two oceans.

Deltalenn looks at Z'ha'dum, a lush, green planet. "This is not Z'ha'dum!"

"Yes it was before this happened. It's been about 30 years and one of the Children of Light became in charge of a fleet of old Minbari war cruisers. They molten the surface and supposed that all life was dead, but the Shadow's were 10 miles underground 30 years ago shortly after the war."

Deltalenn hoping it was not her, "And who was it?"

The apparition looks at Deltalenn, "The one you call Iris, he was taken as servant in 101AD, and once again in 2010 where they froze him after they learned the truth of what he did. He was relieved when he prophesized the coming of the research vessel Invincible. Only if they knew he would lead to their genocide of their entire race."

Deltalenn looks at the molten Z'ha'dum in front of her. "So who are the other children?"

"Well the Children of Valen are Delenn, and under her was two children who were David Sheridan, and Delenn 2nd Sheridan, both Children of Light. Delenn's third child was born in the past, but went through transformation in 3261 this would be Iris. They are all Religious Caste. Valen's second child was Casthmatic who was a Warrior Caste member and she gave creation to the Prosperity of Light named Ananette. And the last Child of Valen is you Deltalenn, but of the Worker Caste, you gave creation to the Children of Time called Deliris."

Deltalenn looks at herself in this messed up futurepast visionthing. "So I am a Child of Valen, and I have a child?"

The apparition nods, "Yes, and you will have a child Deltalenn."

Deltalenn looks at her physical self. "But how?"

"This confirmation has broken the Vorlon makeup, but you will someday be married." The apparition ushers away the visions. "That is why it was important to get you here so you can learn this."

Deltalenn wonders about the others of the Armada. "What about the other?"

The apparition knows that the connection is ending, the transformation complete. "They are learning on their own. As for you, your need is needed on the Armada." Deltalenn feels her body becoming heavy and as she awakens she is back in her room, but she knows that she is going to have a problem explaining her transformation from Rama to Deltalenn, for she no long her former self, not even the same gender and is strangely already one week pregnant.

As Iris sits calmly rendering the Shadow Councils decision, the talk begins. "**Iris hear us out. We render that you speak the truth. The Eye renders that you are a carrier of an honorable Minbari soul thus that renders you as a Child of Light, created by Delenn Sheridan—our enemy. Do you render a second?**"

Iris shakes his head, there is no will to argue against the council."No council, I am as charged, and as guilty!"

"**Then hear us out; you will be frozen in time till 3261.**" As Iris was placed in the cryonic tube he falls asleep. Only seconds latter he awakens to a force thrust—jump engines. He is back on the Armada.

With the Eye's army ready to move, Casthmatic is ready to rum. The terrine is hospitable. The Eye's army had to be stopped, if only if she could get a word out to the others, but how it is 3999 and the others are in the year 3261. As Casthmatic turns she slips on a rock and falls about 20 feet down the rocky crag. As she tries to stand the Eye sees her and turns its dragon towards her. As she tries to run for the gate she staggers over rocks as she nears the greenish black gate. As she nears the gate the Eye is near to capturing her, but she gets inside the gate. As she looks around the complex, the Eye walks in—without its dragon body. "**So you must be Casthmatic?**"

Casthmatic looks at the Eye. "Yes, and you must be the Eye?"

"**The Eye—ha—no, master of all, servant of the Eye.**"

Casthmatic holds her ground. As the Eye slowly approaches, Casthmatic speaks again. "That's what the Liberators call themselves."

Coldly. "**Yes, and you know this because?**"

Casthmatic looks at the Eye with a new found anger for the Eye, it help destroy the Invincible. "I was on the Invincible; I went to X'ha'dum, the mirror of Z'ha'dum."

"**So you destroyed the Liberators?**"

Casthmatic shakes her head, "No, they were hunting us!"

The Eye gets closer to Casthmatic, then the Eye stabs Casthmatic in the chest. As Casthmatic looks with a shocked expression, the Eye's spiky hand is crystallizing as if the veins are exploding. "**You are a Child of Valen; you are responsible for our defeat!**"

Casthmatic is more traumatized by the Eyes arm cracking up as the wound heals up on Casthmatic's chest. As the body liquefied 24 glowing eyes appear in front of Casthmatic. As Casthmatic remembers what the Eye spoke it dawned on her that she is one of the three Children of Valen. When Casthmatic went to kill the glowing eyes there is a bright flash and she is running in the docking bay of the Armada. The time travel was over—or was it?.


	8. Shadow’s Of Epsilon 3

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Shadow's Of Epsilon 3**

_Captain Nanette personal log. Well something strange happened today. Gram was in Docking Bay 2 when he heard a voice calling for help. When he opened the door Casthmatic was in there, now we searched the docking bays all five of them and found no one, but according to Gram—Casthmatic was sure shook up. And one hour later we found Iris in the coolant room, he was telling me that he now knows the truth to the secrets of X'ha'dum. I asked him what it was, but would not commit. Shortly after seeing Iris we meet someone who claims to be Rama, at first I was not sure, but when Delteine came to see Rama she claimed that Rama came to her in a different form, in the form of a half Human half Minbari named Deltalenn. When I asked Rama's new name she said it was Deltalenn, she told Delteine and me that she has always been a female Minbari hybrid and that her mother is actually the wife of Valen. Deltalenn later said that the three Children of Valen are, Delenn, Casthmatic, and herself. She said that both Casthmatic and her never children in the past and that is why they are here now in the future, only Delenn had four children—David, and Delenn 2nd. The third child was of genetic, but not born of Delenn, this would be Iris, and the last is Delenn 3rd, who was a genetic experiment of frozen DNA, and this would be Deylnn. After hearing this I just stood there I did not know what to think of, but my thoughts troubled me, we all now were lost in time. I was not sure if I should tell where we were going, but I told them anyway. I told them that we are going to Epsilon 3, the planet that echoed the image of Babylon 5. I myself saw this to be a holy trip—the crew thought so to, but I could tell that Iris and Casthmatic were still extremely shook up—what scared them. Second thought I don't want to know! The Vorlon's assure me that we will be safe there as the planet takes us back to regular time to defeat the Liberators._

Delteine patches in to Nanette quarters where the recording for her log is going on. "Captain Nanette we approach Epsilon 3."

Nanette presses the com, "Thank you, jump when we arrive, I will be there shortly."

"Yes captain."

_I just talked to navigation under command by Delteine. Well I have to end my message; I just wanted to make a message of what has happen to my crew. If we don't make it back, please tell my children that I loved them and that I am truly sorry that I put my career before them. (Recording ended)._

In C&C. "Delteine?" Says Captain Nanette who looks around the C&C.

Delteine looks at the pale planet ahead of them, but they are still in hyperspace, technology alouds up to check on the situation before jumping. "We near Epsilon 3 captain."

Nanette looks at the security feed picture of their jump area. "Delteine!"

Delteine looks at Nanette. "Yes captain?"

Nanette keeps staring at the picture...it looks safe to enter. "You can just call me Nanette it would seem more formal."

Delteine nods, "All right," Checks the hyperspace beacon. "We're there."

Nanette looks at Delteine, "Jump."

The Armada comes out of hyperspace into regular space, there is a dead-like planet, and Nanette is looking for an energy source. "This is close enough."

Delteine and Nanette turn around. It is Draal. "I am the keeper of the Great Machine, there is a vessel docking—there is one person in suspended animation, she is ready to be welcomed back to the crew of the Armada. Now to get back in time go due south and open a jump gate at 120 clicks, wait two hours to jump again." Draal cracks a sarcastic smile. "Good Luck!" Draal disappears.

Nanette calls Iris. "Iris please go to docking Bay 3, there is a person down there who needs assistance."

Iris patches in from Med Bay where he was meditating. "Yes Nanette."

Nanette shuts off the com and looks at Delteine. "Delteine set for 120 clicks and set automatic jump for two hour when we enter hyperspace."

Delteine nods, "Yes Nanette."

Iris slips his card through the scanner to open the door, in the center of the room is a person lying down and non-responsive of Iris's entry. As Iris nears the body, he notices the same fluid that makes his skin once glossy from the Vorlon Empire. As Iris takes a good look at whom it was it was Deylnn, but Deylnn looked more like the photos of the legionary Delenn 3rd, this must have been the result of the transformation. The only way he could recognize her is by the pin Deylnn always wore near the base of his neck. How was he going to explain this to Nanette? All Iris knew is that now he—or better now described as a she has transformed into a young female Human-Minbari hybrid dressed in ice white. This puzzled Iris, Deltalenn also was male to female and said that she was like this after the Great War in 1261. As Iris turned to a com to tell what he found. "Iris to Nanette, come in Nanette."

There is static and the com goes dead. Iris hears his name. "Iris…"

Iris turns around. "Deylnn, are you all right?"

Delenn 3rd is shivering cold, she is shocked and scared. "What has happen to me?"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, even he is not certain. "You don't know?"

Delenn 3rd shakes her head, but it make her dizzy. "No, all I did was go to sleep on Minbar and now awaken to this." Delenn 3rd looks at herself in a clear glass panel. "In Valen's name," A shock look come to Delenn 3rd face. "I'm loosing it Iris, what have I've become?"

Delenn 3rd buries her face in her palms, which have became much slender and fragile compared to his once scared, battered hands. "Delenn 3rd, I am not certain how this happened, but there must be a reason."

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris and she speaks. "_A fa'an, zum'A ni'velo zhalen!_"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, he does not understand what he just heard and wonder if it is his hearing. "What did you say?"

Delenn 3rd looks confused. "I said that I feel zhalen!"

Iris thinks for a second. "Zhalen?"

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris' confusion. "What are you talking about Iris?"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd. "You said to me that you feel zhalen."

Delenn 3rd nods, "Yes—alone."

Iris thinks of the word. "Zhalen means alone?"

To Delenn she hears this _Alone means alone?_ "I don't know—I suppose. _Nehan_" Delenn 3rd caught herself, "something must _fa_ wrong with my speech?"

Iris nods agreeing with Delenn 3rds new problem. "Yes, I see." Thinking to himself after catching the word 'fa', fa must equal 'be'. "Delenn 3rd?"

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris. "_Vi'is—ah_ bad! Sorry, _ah Ingliss _must be, being mixed with the _ver'kaffmin_ language."

Iris listens but the language is getting worse. "Yes, it might do best if you don't speak, it seems more you speak the more alien you become."

Delenn 3rd nod, "Vi'is!"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, "Follow me, I am going to take you to the Med Lab, maybe we can figure out what is happening to you?" Delenn 3rd takes out a piece of paper and write: Yes. Meaning "yes", seeing this Delenn 3rd throws the paper to the ground in frustration. Iris notices that they don't have much time before Deylnn become just Delenn 3rd with no memory of Deylnn.

Back on the bridge the Armada is only seconds away from jumping. When the time is up the Armada opens a jumping point into an electrical storm that last only for a second. When they are out of the storm the internal clocks read: May 17, 3999. Delteine looks at Nanette. "We have a date."

Nanette looks at Delteine, "Read it to me."

Delteine looks at the number, "It is the 17th of May the year is…"

Nanette looks at Delteine who is shocked. "Well?"

Delteine looks back at Nanette. "It is 3999; we've jumped 738 years."

Nanette ponders, that can't be right, why would Draal make them loss in time? "738 years—I don't understand, I thought we've been home by now!"

Delteine shakes her head disappointed. "Apparently not."

The com comes on, it's Iris. "This is Iris."

Nanette rises from her chair and presses the com switch. "Go ahead."

Nanette sounds disappointed. "Did the jump go well?"

Nanette really hates it when people rub it in. "Well not to my standards."

Iris changes the subject. "Can you read Minbari?"

Nanette thinks about the question. "What type of rhetorical question is that?"

Iris becomes impatient with the patient he is trying to treat whom at the moment is writing an imperfect language that makes both of them impatient in the patient ward of Med Bay. "Can you, or can you not?"

Nanette does not understand Iris' current situation. "Well somewhat, when I signed on with the Invincible we were to be fluent in two languages, I choose Minbari and Drakh, and I was the top of my class."

Iris sends the written work over to the computer, it takes awhile to download. "Good, can you read this?" It finally downloads and this is exactly what Nanette see. English translation:

**To Nanette The year we should be in is the year 3999. Re. Delenn 3rd **

Nanette looks at the writing. "I never knew you could write Minbari?"

Iris looks at the neat curves, even tracing them is difficult. "No I can't, Delenn 3rd did the writing. The writing say's a greeting and the year 3999. I have a feeling that is our time—correct Nanette?"

Nanette reads the message. "Yes—but how did you know?"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, "I think you need to come to the Med Lab now, and bring Deltalenn with you, I believe I just found the last key to our mission to defeat the Shadow's and Liberators! And don't worry, there is no threats instead I believe we will soon learn why we are all here." Iris turns off the com


	9. Shadow’s Against Light

**CHAPTER NINE: Shadow's Against Light**

Iris is waiting outside and only seconds later two people come to meet him. "Okay we're here what's going on?" Say Nanette.

Iris looks at Nanette, "When I went to Minbar with Deylnn and Mirra I had to escape because the Grey Council was going to do something harmful to us, so I made my escape without Deylnn."

Nanette nods, but that is now in the past. "I know."

Iris shakes his head. "I don't think you know the full spectrum of my failure to save Deylnn, I saw him hooked to machines and being changed by a chrysalis. When Rama transformed into Deltalenn it was because she is ready to complete some task I have no clue about."

Nanette begins to sum up the puzzle. "So the person in Docking Bay 3 is Deylnn?"

Iris takes in a deep breath. "Well—yes, and no" Nanette pushes Iris to the side to enter the Med Lab. "Please Nanette!"

Nanette sees Delenn 3rd, but not in the same form as she remembers. "_Sim'wa_ captain—I mean hello captain."

Nanette looks at Delenn 3rd in shock, this is not what she expected. "Deylnn?"

Delenn 3rd looks confused. "Who?"

Nanette turns to Iris. "What's wrong with her speech?"

Iris looks at Nanette, "Well I was trying to tell you that this transformation is taking her back to her once memory—possibility how to defeat the Liberators—I don't know, all I know is that the transformation is having no stress on her body—as I see it, it is transforming her to possibly merge the old with the new."

Delenn 3rd look confused as she listens to the conversation. Nanette goes over to Delenn 3rd because something caught her eye, the flesh is shifting tighten and becoming smaller. "What's going on with her skin?"

Iris looks at the papers. "Well there appears to be a problem with her, you see her eternal epidermis is only nine years old and the outer epidermis is about 13 years—that's a five year difference, so the body can only do one thing—transform the outer flesh to match her eternal flesh. The entire transformation should last for another 48 hours, so I request time off because she wants to begin work."

Nanette nods. "Well she can begin in 48 hours."

Delenn 3rd is desperate. "_Zum' Nanette nie'se felis, nehan!_"

Nanette looks at Delenn 3rd. "_Nee, ker'anla en'sim fes e'nek!_"

Delenn 3rd shifts her eyes to the floor. Iris looks at Nanette. "What did you say?"

Nanette smiles and looks at Iris. "I told her no, and that I will see her in 48 hours, please keep a close eye on her for me, for when she or he once served under me she or he—ah—hell…Deylnn disobeyed when it came to work."

Iris chuckles, "Okay, I will see what I can do."

The pressure of autism begins to take Nanette, but she controls it. "Thank you Iris."

Nanette walking with Deltalenn. "So what do you think?"

Nanette looks at Deltalenn, "She is the fourth Child of Light—Delenn 3rd Mir Sheridan, that's what she will soon remember."

Deltalenn thinks why the flesh and mind had to be changed. "But why change the genetic makeup and name?"

Nanette is uncertain, but gives an explanation. "Fear, it's a survival tactic the Vorlon's implanted within her, like me. But what I think activated the gene was Thirdspace, you needed nine who were either influenced or are part of the Children of Valen, that would be you, Arimira, Casthmatic, Mirra, Gram, Iris, Jake, Mira, and Deylnn who turned out to be Delenn 3rd." Nanette looks at Deltalenn. "So where do you fit in again Deltalenn?"

Deltalenn smiles, "I am a messenger, and I am also a child of Valen."

Nanette continues walking and pondering of the prophecy. "So lets run this down, you said the Children of Valen, and Light have to gather?"

Deltalenn nods, "Yes, a there is a prophesy of this trip on Minbar, it's actually part of our revelations in the Religious Caste. It speaks of six prophets fighting against the legions; it also states that the captain dies only to come back as the Child of Light—other words if we are following this story that would be you Nanette."

Nanette looks scared. "I hope this is not true, but if it is so it is for a purpose, but to be a Child of Light would be strange!"

As Nanette and Deltalenn continue to walk, but a voice calls out to them. "**AND SO IT BEGINS.**"

Nanette turns around to see the brown and blue Vorlon. "What begins?"

"**THE WAR OF SHADOW'S.**" Says the Ulkesh Kosh, then both Vorlon's turn and leave.

Nanette rushes with Deltalenn at her heels to C&C. "We have a problem Delteine?"

Delteine looks at Nanette and at Deltalenn, her new daughter. "Who is it?"

Nanette sits in her chair. "What?"

Delteine looks at Deltalenn. "The person down in Med Lab."

Nanette looks at her weapons. "We found Delenn 3rd."

Delteine's eyes widen. "Delenn, Sati Delenn?"

Nanette shakes her head as she programs the weapons. "No just Delenn 3rd a member of my crew, he served as a FCS."

Delteine looks confused. "A FCS?"

"A First Contact Situations officer, he went with me thorough Thirdspace and probably began transforming slowly till he got to Minbar." Nanette looks at Deltalenn. "Your son—sorry daughter said that she is a very close match to Delenn 3rd."

Delteine looks at Deltalenn. "In Valen's name—I am blessed to be a member of this crew!"

Sarcastically, Nanette make a quick remark with weapons upgraded.." Well you might want to revoke your membership card—because in this time we have failed, the Liberator's are the master and the Hand are the servants."

Delteine looks at Nanette. "In Valen's name!"

Nanette looks at the console. "Yes, god helps us!"

Iris goes to Delenn 3rds room to talk with her personally. "Hello Delenn 3rd".

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris, the last time Delenn 3rd saw Iris, was before she went to Minbar in the form of Deylnn, now she lives in doubt of his past, but Delenn 3rd knows what is hurting Iris. "Hello Iris."

Iris looks at the floor and speaks very quickly to get through it. "I understand you're upset with me."

Delenn 3rd smiles. "Iris, I am not upset—it was a trap."

Iris nods, that is what he thought. "When I escaped through a vent I would have never got you out—it was too risky!"

Delenn 3rd nods, "I know, I also know what's going to happen to us." Delenn 3rd looks at Iris's worried face. "We're going the right direction for a chance; those who are not activated will be made as one by the Resperlizers."

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, "Who?"

Delenn 3rd repeats herself. "The Resperlizers, they will create us as one by opening out sealed genetics to create us as one, already Deltalenn and I have been through the process, the others will follow and those who are only followers will die."

Iris smiles, "Not I, I know this for a chance."

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris. "How Iris?"

Iris sits down next to Delenn 3rd. "When we left 2261 we were hit be a electric storm and I was somewhat at the Liberators homeworld, Delenn 3rd I am actually the forth son of Delenn and I am afraid of the change!"

Delenn 3rd pushes herself from her bed in a sitting position to face Iris direct. "Don't be worried Iris, what we all wear is only the shell that helps up do our task here in this time, our souls never change, you've always been a hybrid of Human and Minbari of the Religious Caste and to tell you why your not even on the records is because of the fear of questions and murder by the Shadow's. There will be an equaling where we all will become equal then the true change will begin and then the war of all wars will begin, the judgment."

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, "Sort of like Shadow's against the light?"

Delenn is sort of amused by the statement. "Yes, in a sort of a creepy way. We should be ready to jump now Iris, you better grip a wall, and our fall begins as we jump." Iris looks confused at Delenn 3rd.

C&C, the Armada jumps and a laser beam hits the engines sending the Armada plummeting towards Earth. Nanette looks over her window thinking...not again!. "Dear god, that's Earth."

Deltalenn looks at her monitors, "Yes captain and we're plummeting towards it."

Nanette locks herself in her chair. "Lock yourself in Deltalenn."

Deltalenn looks at Nanette. "You to Nanette."

Nanette looks at Deltalenn then back at Earth. "Impact area Delteine?"

Deltalenn plugs in the impact area. "Pacific Ocean."

Nanette looks at Deltalenn, "Where?"

Deltalenn reads her monitor, even though it is hard to read due to the entry of the atmosphere causing tremendous shaking. "150 degrees south, 10 degrees east, it appears to be the Mariana Trench."

Nanette looks at the deep blue ocean. "Depth?"

The numbers scare Deltalenn. "A negative 26,850 feet Nanette."

Nanette looks at Deltalenn. "Can this vessel handle that depth?"

Deltalenn calculates the PPSC. "Let me check. It is 813.6 atmospheres—Nanette only two can kill Human's."

Nanette nods, but looks like a violent shaking due to the vibration. "That is what I was afraid of! So what can this ship take in pounds per square centimeter?"

Deltalenn looks at the monitor. "Give me a second captain. In pounds per square centimeter—labs never tested, but I guess 10 thousand PPSC."

Nanette looks at the land and ocean. "And what is the Mariana's Trench PPSC?"

Deltalenn frantically punches in the calculations. "Give me a second."

Nanette can see the major current trails in the water. "Hurry, we don't have all hours—only seconds!"

"11, 959.92 PPSC."

Nanette feels hope in her sink. "Great were short 1959.92 PPSC."

Deltalenn looks at Nanette. "It is only a guess, we may decompress at 10,000 feet."

Nanette looks at Deltalenn. "I hope not!"

As the ocean nears they hit—the impact is smooth like if the ship was built for water, Nanette always thought the Minbari ships look like giant fish. As the Armada enters 8,000 feet Navigation is steering hard to avoid sharp cliff sides, as Nanette grips hard to her chair they enter the 10, 500 foot mark and the ship is still holding and the floor is still not in sight. By 15,500 feet there is no damage yet. By 20,000 feet the walls are compressing inward by three centimeters, by 24,000 feet the organic plates are breaking and flooding is on all levels then at 25,101 feet the Armada hits bottom, the ship is still holding. "We've stopped our decent at 25,101 feet; pressure is at 11, 181.35 PPSC."

Nanette looks at the groaning superstructure. "How is the ship holding?"

The groaning makes Deltalenn nervous. "There are ruptures on all decks. The Organic mass is—dead. The Armada will be flooded in three standard Earth hours." Nanette looks behind her to see a steady stream of salt water. As Nanette gets out of her seat the entire ship shakes. "What was that?"

Nanette looks at Deltalenn. "An earthquake, it appears that we've triggered an eruption."

Deltalenn is now very scared. "What?"

Nanette goes to a monitor the monitor's the environment outside. "Molten lava is spreading due south of us; it will hit us in four hours."

Deltalenn nods, "Fine with me, I will drown before burn!"

Nanette goes to the com. "Attention, this is Nanette, we are taking on water quickly I need you all to go to the mess hall to plan an evacuation." Com off.

Deltalenn looks at the rising salt water, it is ice cold! "We can't escape."

Nanette nods, "I know, but I wont just sit here waiting for death!"

Engine room. "Gram to Nanette—Gram to Nanette, if you are hearing this, the hit has jammed my door and short-circuited most of my consoles. I need help I repeat I need help!" Gram looks at the plates in the room explode. As the metal explodes in the engine room the room just crunches in like a soda can, but in the heap of metal no body—the body has disappeared. With the decompression the electric opens the jammed doors to Med Lab and security. As compartment after compartment crushes in there is no bodies.

As Nanette enters the mess hall with Delteine the lights are out. As Nanette looks down the hall she hears metal ripping, as she tries to crank the mess hall door shut a transparent glowing tentacle grabs her and goes over her mouth, ears and digestive system, entering her body, the pain knocks her out. As the entire ship crunches up, Kosh Nanarke and Ulkesh Kosh carry the crew away to the Resperlizers city.


	10. Shadow’s Of The Abyssal

**CHAPTER TEN: Shadow's Of The Abyssal**

The chief Respertorian looks at Ulkesh and Nanarke. "So Ulkesh and Nanarke, what brings you to the abyssal?"

Ulkesh Kosh looks at the mer-individual, "**WAR!**"

The haft fish-Human hybrid laughs, "War—ha—now with whom?"

Ulkesh Kosh replies, "**ALL.**"

The smile on the Respertorian melts away. "Liberators?" The Vorlon's with out their encounter suits don't say a word. "You do understand that bring flesh down to the abyssal will doom our relationship."

Ulkesh Kosh looks harshly at the Respertorian."**RELATIONSHIP IS IRRELEVANT.**"

This time the Resperlizers says nothing. "So what do you want us to do?"

Kosh Nanarke speaks gently. "**BRING AS ONE.**"

"As a race?"

**YES.**" Nanarke nods.

"How, they are so multicultural and you remember what happened last time we created a multicultural race, they almost leveled this world with that plague." A brief moment of silence. "Well lets run their genes through our machines, you want to add any type of separate life support?"

Nanarke answers. "**NO, ONLY USE THE CODE.**"

The Respertorian looks at the bodies, "But those wont do much."

"**YES.**" Says Ulkesh.

The Vorlon's swim away to Fuji to recall their ships. "Tarpez, prepare the genetic makeup debreaker I have to situate the bodies in the room."

Tarpez enters to run into Kosh Nanarke who decided to stay behind. "You scared me, so how do you want the genetics arranged?"

Kosh Nanarke looks at Tarpez. "**ENTER THE CODE ON THE COMPUTER THE REST HAS BEEN DONE.**"

Tarpez looks at the numbers. "I do have one question, what is there to break?"

Nanarke looks at Tarpez, "**THE PAST.**"

Tarpez is confused. "Of what?" The Vorlon does not answer, but instead turns and exits the complex to swim to Fuji. On the computer is Vorlon text ready to enter.

Abyssal computer Mainframe Password

* * *

**ABYSSAL COMPUTER MAINFRAME**

Welcome Doctor Tarpez Today schedule?

Experiment number: 962142 Condition? Active

Number being cocooned? 9 Activation Number?

Please enter new DNA code

Delenn 3rd, Nanette, Iris, Gram, Arimira, Casthmatic, Jake, Delteine, Deltalenn

Please enter new RNA code

Nan 2h, 1a, 1m: Del 2m, 2h: Del 4m: Gra 2s, 1a, 1v: Ari 2s, 2v: Jak 2h, 2a: Iri 2h, 1a, 1m: Cas 2h, 2a: Dey 2n, 2m: Proto: 12 h12a7m10s4v3sa12 sq12 rp12

New species finished press

OK

* * *

As Tarpez presses, 'Begin process' the DNA and RNA mixers turn on and enters the chamber. As the doctor gets up to the lab above the sleeping chamber he tells Tarpez to hit the 'Inject Process' button. As the doctor looks at his watch he tells that the process will be over in two hours. As Tarpez looks out the window ever one of the nine are being cocooned.

As the second hour passes the large dark domed room looks like an giant spider ness with nine cocoons being held up by strains of cocoon like material, the cocoon is a quite strange object that respirate's them, feeds them, provides protection, and changes them. As Tarpez, Dr. Icemic, Ulkesh, and Nanarke stand above in a concealed room, Dr. Icemic wants to solve two problems at once. In their makeshift prison is a prisoner called Knife Kelly a disturbed Resperlizer who had killed nine other Resperlizers. Dr. Icemic agreed to release him if he can survive and kill nine more people with any knife of his choice. As Knife Kelly enters the dome he is horrified by what he sees, there is nine oozing cocoons that emit a smell and gas that is pungent. As Kelly walks slowly in the center of the room he uses his knife to cut the trip lines that hold the cocoons in stable place. As he walks towards Delenn 3rds cocoon he raises his knife to strike a fatal blow to the protoplasmic shelter, but as he is ready to strike he feels like if needles are jabbing straight into his hands as the pain rattles throughout his hands he notices the fine white cocoon spindles from Iris's cocoon on the left. As he tries to tear the fleshy strings off, more needles pierce into his body now from all sides, burning. As the white lines begin encasing him. As Dr. Icemic listens to screams of pain he wonders what is happening to Kelly's body. As Kelly's body is now encased in cocoon material it sits off on the site where he fell. As Dr. Icemic mechanically removes Kelly's cocoon it is sent to the trench to be destroyed. This test tells Dr. Icemic not to send anyone into the lab till the transformation is complete. A few hours latter steam erupts out of the cocoons and the doctors risk their lives to clean of the fluids off the cocoons or be tortured by Ulkesh Kosh. By the second hour after cleaning, the nine emerge, clothed in ice white clothes, but seeks more clothes because it is too cold. As Dr. Icemic looks at the nine Delenn 3rd and Deltalenn have not altered, but have changed, they are both nine years old and are fully human! Kosh tells Dr. Icemic that this is normal for Minbari, she'll change by her 16th birthday as all Minbari-Human hybrids. Deltalenn goes to Iris, the closes to her. "Wake up Iris!"

Iris awakens, he feels slimy to touch. "What happened?"

Deltalenn looks around at the complex. "I don't know, but the entire crew of nine is alive."

Iris looks at the gooey ooze. "What is this slime?"

Deltalenn looks at it, it's disgusting! "I don't know, some type of protoplasm."

Iris looks at the fleshy cocoons, "Where are we?"

Deltalenn looks around. "Again I am not sure; it looks like some type of bubble."

The door opens and an Asmaraqua like person walks in. "Welcome to the home of the Resperlizers, we've been awaiting the return of the Hybritical Respertorians."

Nanette who has been awake for the past 30 seconds, looks at the fish-like creature. "Hybritical what?"

"Hybritical Respertorians, a culture we created to help you battle the Shadow's, Liberators, and Hand as one." Looking at the crew of fully young Human's. The Armada's crew is confused. "Okay, in a more understandable way the Liberators have taken their place as the ruler of all species. They have the Hand, and the Shadow's as servants pulling the trigger as they sit back and liberate other planets. They were forced back by their children billions of years ago, but now with the Shadow's back; forgiven; the fight to become master is destroying all creation."

Nanette looks at the owner of this place they are in. "So we are your creation?"

"No, and yes, we were only servants of the Race of Light we created the group to be organized and created the false makeup to hid you until now."

Deltalenn is becoming annoyed. "Cut to the chase, who are we and what are these new DNA's?"

He looks over at Deltalenn. "All right to the chase, your all hybrids of Minbari, and Human, that is why you're here!"

Nanette questions. "So you created the first Minbari?"

The creature shakes his head. "No it was the Liberators that created a massive army of super spiders—they serve the Eye and are known as the Soldiers of Darkness."

Nanette continues. "So then tell me this who created the triluminary?"

The creature looks out at the dark blue water. "The Vorlon's did. There were three of them create to control all life. The problem with creating powerful objects—everyone wants them for their own use. One triluminary creates life by taking two lives and fusing them as one, this would be in your case. The second triluminary creates life by taking your past to create the future an a example would be Ambassador Delenn, the only problem with creating yourself as a hybrid is that you take your soul carrier and the present soul and divide them in half. So for a Minbari transforming he or she, so lets take Delenn as an example and she would take half of her Human host which is given half of her genetics thus producing to hybrids at two different times, so in Iris's case when you look at him you see Delenn of 2261, problem for Iris" As the Resperlizer looks at Iris. "Is that he is now the recessive gene carrier and to become half which is a equal mix of recessive and dominate genes he has to become the replica of the one who started the transformation."

Iris looks at himself, "You mean I am going to become Delenn."

The Respertorian smiles, "When you become of age in Minbari. Which is 16 in Human years and 32 in Minbari. But to get back on track the last triluminary was taken by the Liberators during one of their wars with the Vorlon's, they used this triluminary to create the very first hybrid and very first mage, they called it their "black chrysalis". This chrysalis is only to be used for Vorlon use so as you can guess, the Shadow's and Liberators lost control and instead of controlling the triluminary it controlled them."

Nanette looks at the place. "So tell us who we are!"

The Respertorian looks at the nine. "You are called Hybritical Respirtorians, your race is Minbari-Human except for those who are not part of this group, and then they will form much different."

Deltalenn looks at the Respertorian. "But how?"

The Respertorian looks at Deltalenn. "It was a risk to come down here, and if your not the one then by your 16th birthday you will leave your Human form to develop a Minbari crest bone, Minbari arm structure, no sweat glands due to the lack of sweat pores and the protoplasm layer, Human hair and emotions, the ability to live underwater and one punishment from the Vorlon's—and from what I know four of you are not the one, but who I don't know. Now we are on a busy schedule and have to get you back into space. We've have brought this ship for the arrival of the Hybritical Respirtorians, so follow me please."

The Respertorian alouds Nanette and Deltalenn wake the other. As the others wake they look at the place in shock and awe, never in their lifetime have they ever thought that anything could live in this harsh condition on Earth. As the nine arise they looks at one another, all appear to be Human, but most don't know the embarrassing fact that they were mutated into a multi-breed, and they themselves have unconsciously already killed one person with their bodies own evolutions. As they follow the Respertorian they whisper to one another on the fact, does anyone know what has happened? It seems that they know that they are hybrids, but being change does not please all of them. As they enter a second dome and there is a Vorlon like vessel. It is about half a mile long with slender materials. As the eleven walks closer to the ship, Dr. Icemic and Tarpez stop walking knowing that if they go to close they will die. As Nanette looks at the vessel, never in her life has she seen one of these ships in person, the technology is about 1000 years behind the Shadow's, 500 years behind the Hand, 2000 years behind the Liberators. But with regards, the technology is at least 1000 years ahead of Human technology. As the other nine look at the vessel one at a time enter thought the plasma wall. As Dr. Icemic and Tarpez leave the dome the walls open and the ocean water rushes in, but the Vorlon like vessel handles it. As the vessel launches off it hits the surface in one minute and is in space.


	11. The Fall Of The Shadow’s

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Fall Of The Shadow's**

Gram looks at the Vorlon vessel, "So what should we call this ship?"

Nanette looks at the organic vessel. "I'm not sure, let me think, how about the Metamorphic?"

Gram looks at Nanette, "Why?

Nanette looks at the organic flesh of the ship then looks at her crew. "Well it's crew are quiet altered beyond reality, and the ship was created for the Hybritical Respertorians, so that is why I think Metamorphic.

"Sounds great to me." Says Gram.

Nanette looks out the window. "Well then it is official, this ship is named, Metamorphic."

Arimira looks at Nanette. "Should we go through a check?"

Nanette turns around to look at Arimira, she is not use to seeing everyone looking like Human. "Yes," looks at Gram. "Gram you go to the engine room." Turns around to look at Arimira again. "Arimira go to the weapons control and find what our weapons and defenses are."

Arimira nods, "Yes, you'll have it in 10 minutes."

Nanette smiles and looks at Delteine. "Delteine go to the Navigation console to learn how to read it."

Delteine nods, "I'm on it."

Nanette looks at Iris, and Deltalenn; Delteine's son. "Deltalenn and Iris go find the Med Bay."

Iris nods, "Yes."

Nanette watches her own child leave the bridge and then turns to face Jake. "Jake, go make some rounds of this ship, you're our security officer."

Jake smiles, "I'll get right to it."

As Jake leaves the bridge, Nanette looks at Casthmatic. "Casthmatic, go to the mess hall to see what type of food we have, also check water."

Casthmatic nods, "Yes Nanette!"

Nanette looks at Delenn 3rd "Deylnn—sorry, Delenn 3rd I will need you on the bridge, if we run upon a serious problem I will need you there."

Delenn 3rd nods gently. "I'll see you there!"

Nanette goes to the bridge Captain's chair, and looks at Delteine, Deylnn, and Arimira. Arimira walks up to Nanette. "I've checked weapons; we've got some really true power. Four forward guns, missiles, lasers, landmines, thermal nuclear missiles, and best of all, a direct forward beam array."

Nanette smiles, "So we have weapons, how about shields?"

Arimira smiles, "Yes, they are very advanced!" Arimira turns and goes back to the Weapons station.

Delteine looks at Nanette from her station. "Navigation is simple; we have jump gate capability and stealth technology."

Nanette nods, "Good," Nanette goes to a com and locks into the engine room. "Gram, how's the engines?"

Gram looks for the com switch and after shifting many pipes around and finally arriving to the com he patches in. "The engines are highly advanced Nanette, we have more speed then the Invincible and the Armada put together."

Nanette thinks for only a second and patches in again. "Thank you Gram." Turns off the com.

Delteine see an armada of ships swarming towards the Metamorphic, they have gun ports open and are locked on. "Nanette a dozen of hostiles heading our way."

Nanette turns to looks at Delteine who has given the bad news. "All right, arm weapons, here they come."

As the Metamorphic flies to the left it dodges the enemy fire. As the vessels open fire again it hits the Metamorphic, but the ships defense grid reflects the energy outward. As the Metamorphic opens fire ship after ship are destroyed. When the last Shadow survey type vessel is disabled it goes to ramming speed and rams directly into the Metamorphic's side, as the ships impact is reflected off the sides one part of the ship breaks and crashes into the bridge. As the Metamorphic lies drifted Nanette awakes to a badly damaged bridge, as she looks to see the weapons console, Arimira is dead, slit through the neck by a shear metal piece. As she looks for Delenn 3rd she is okay, so is Delteine. As she stagers to the ships com there is a metal shear in her leg, it has cut all the way through. As she removes the metal the pain is severe, but the blood begins to scab over the puncture. As she begins role call one more crewmember is dead, it is Gram. When Nanette got down there, he was dead, cooked by steam explosion. As Nanette loaded the bodies of her friends in caskets the thoughts of revenge plagued her mind, she was going to take the Liberators to hell with her, they are going to die! As Nanette resembles her team she asked Jake to take over weapons and for Iris to take over Navigation. As the Metamorphic entered hyperspace Nanette programmed the ship to go to Sector 900, the once homeworld of the Shadow's. Iris could not figure out why Nanette was going to the once Z'ha'dum sector, but Z'ha'dum was not gone—it was being rebuilt by the Liberators advanced technology. And the Shadow's were rebuilding fleets ten time faster then the two past great wars, they also were being made better, their planet was being made super fortified and the Liberators were using Z'ha'dum as a channel to X'ha'dum. The Shadow's and Liberators have returned, the Hand got the other side of the deal, the Liberators enslaved them, but the Hand did not care, they believed they were with the superior race. The other thing the Liberators knew was that coming was the Metamorphic, they have stationed most of their ships to intercept the Metamorphic and destroy it. The Liberators were ready! About two jumps outside Z'ha'dum is a 2254 explorer shuttle carrying one Human waiting to intercept the Metamorphic. As hyperspace is broken by the appearance of the Metamorphic, the shuttle powers beacon and shield, but not weapons. As the shuttle begins transmitting out a code, the Metamorphic responds. The message states that they are friends and need assistance. Iris is worried about the message, but Nanette tells the vessel to dock after seeing weapons down and still cold. As the ship docks it is meet by Nanette, Delenn 3rd, Casthmatic, Deltalenn, and Delteine. Jake was told to say at weapons to maintain weapon control, Iris was told to remain putting to navigate to Sector 900. As the door opens out walked a young man, mid 30s with blue eyes, black hair that was slicked back. He walked out with his right hand near his heart and his left hand at his side. He wore dark clothes with a charm around his neck. The last memorable feature was his glance and sheepish smile. As he stops only few feet from Nanette and the others he begins to speak. "You are captain?" As he points his thin pointer finger at Nanette.

Nanette nods, "Yes and you are?"

Mr. Morden folds his fingers in and looks at Nanette. "My name is Morden, that Mr. Morden to you."

Nanette thinks of the names. "Morden—the Shadow serving Morden?"

Mr. Morden smirks and nods, "Funny how the past can stick to you and yes that would be me."

Nanette puts her hands near her weapon. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. Morden, not skilled in firearms, but grew accustom to noticing where they are, but he puts his fears behind him and cuts to the chase. "I came to warn you…more of you are about to die if you don't take my warning seriously."

Nanette keeps her hands near the weapon. "What the warning?"

Mr. Morden smirks and looks at Nanette. "Ah—there's a price to this information…I request membership—or you could leave me out to die in hyperspace."

Nanette shakes her head, "No, but you need to understand the crews tensions towards you."

Mr. Morden looks at the Human crew. "Ah—yes, I would only hope for the best."

Mr. Morden looks at Nanette who has released the hand that was near the gun and extends it out to Mr. Morden as a gesture of welcome. "Well let me then welcome you to the Metamorphic, I will introduce you to the crew."

Mr. Morden shakes his head. "No need to Captain Nanette, you see, being dead has its advantages, I get to watch your lives unfold before me—it's been quite interesting!"

Nanette interrupts Mr. Morden for the information. "You said some of us will die?"

Mr. Morden nods, his smile melts away. "Yes, but we can stop that nightmare if you don't jump!"

Nanette looks at the remaining crew. "Why not—what's waiting for us on the other side?"

Mr. Morden looks at the crew then back at Nanette. "The Shadow and Liberator fleet, they know you're coming—they were told."

Nanette looks at her crew thinking: not again, another mole! "By whom?"

Mr. Morden tries to remember the name. "By ex—security officer Incevi."

Nanette is almost going to answer, but the name strikes down in her memories. "Incevi—that's impossible" Nanette begins to lose control, autism, the gift from Iris, is setting in, Nanette holds back the urge to stutter, and continues. "I killed him and placed his body on Sigma 957."

Mr. Morden notices the stress on Nanette's face. "That's correct, but you left it at the Eye's doorstep, he was reincarnated to give them his service."

Nanette is frozen scared. "I see," Nanette is thinking to herself. Nanette goes to the com. "Iris don't make the jump!"

Iris patches in, "It's too late we're jumping!" Iris looks at the jump point and see a terrifying sight.

As the Metamorphic jumps there is a blaze of pink beams hitting the Metamorphic, as Jake is caught by surprise, he targets and fires back striking ships but not even injuring the vessels. As Iris has the jump engines on, the Metamorphic enters hyperspace ablaze. As the Metamorphic drifts on fire, Mr. Morden, Deltalenn, Delteine, Casthmatic, and Delenn 3rd are trying to remove a metal beam off Nanette, Nanette is dying and struggles to speak, Mr. Morden tries to silent her but she resists. "Delenn 3rd?" Says Nanette carefully.

Delenn 3rd looks at Nanette. "Yes Nanette?"

Nanette looks at Delenn 3rd, she is losing sight, "Since my taking of the Metamorphic, I command under stress and grief, you are now in charged do you confirm Mr. Morden?"

Mr. Morden nods, "Yes captain."

Nanette looks at Delenn 3rd, "Delenn 3rd?"

Delenn 3rd looks at Nanette with tears filling her eyes. "Yes Captain Nanette?"

Nanette pauses for a second, breathing becomes more shallow. "Give my love to my son and daughter on Earth—tell them I love them."

Delenn 3rd thinks of the time. "Nanette it's been 738 years since we left 3261, why don't you tell them on your own my old friend."

Nanette looks at Deltalenn, she is falling asleep, death is only seconds away. "Deltalenn, please take care of Iris; I was to protect him—will you now?"

Deltalenn takes Nanette's hand. "Yes Nanette."

Nanette looks beyond them. "It's time to rest, but be assured I will be back Delenn 3rd, you know what I talk about."

Delenn 3rd gets on her knees and whispers. "Yes I know Sati Delenn 2nd, I will wait for you, but rest for a while my sister, we will meet again."

And with those final words Nanette dies. As Deltalenn, Delteine, Casthmatic, Delenn 3rd, and Morden stand around they can't believe their eyes or ears. How could Nanette have died, as they turn their backs to get some clothes they are surprised to find no body, Nanette has disappeared like John Sheridan. The strongest hit was that Delenn 3rd knows Nanette will be back so to lead this fleet against the Shadow hordes, but now she needs to be strong and take Nanette's command. As Captain Delenn 3rd regathers her thoughts a message from Iris reaches Delenn 3rd. "Is Nanette their Delenn 3rd?" Says Iris who does not know the tragic news yet.

Delenn 3rd fight back the will to cry. "No, Nanette has died, I'm in charged now."

Iris is shocked and grief stricken. "What happened?"

Delenn 3rd looks at Mr. Morden. "She was killed due to the Shadow-Liberator attack."

Iris receives a typed message regarding Mira. "Dear god, I've have more bad new, Mira has died. The room she was in was directly hit."

Delenn 3rd can hear the terror in his voice. "How are you holding Iris?"

Iris looks at the flames surrounding the Metamorphic. "I'm holding—but just seeing what I saw I might have nightmare for the next 200 years!"

Delenn 3rd looks at the others, "What did you see?"

Iris luckily had the recorder on, and watches the short battle. "Why don't you come up here captain—I think you all need to see this—brings an extra pair of shorts I believe you'll need them!"

As Delenn 3rd, Jake, Casthmatic, Deltalenn, Delteine, and Morden enter C&C they see Iris, Iris is wondering who is the new member. "Who's he?"

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris. "This is Morden he is from the rim."

Iris looks at Mr. Morden. "You served in the 2261 Shadow war."

Mr. Morden nods, wishing people would drop it. "Yes I served the Shadow's I have not shame in my past—neither should you Iris." Iris does not look at him directly. "So what's our status?"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, not Mr. Morden. "We have two dead and the vessel is quiet shot up."

Mr. Morden looks at Iris. "Talking about the vessels what did you see?"

Iris looks at the screen as a picture comes up. As hyperspace opens up there are hundred of thousand of Shadow and Liberator vessels everywhere all firing. The space is lit up in a dazzling display of beams. As they hit, the ship tries to reflect most of the fire outward. As the brightness dims there is a huge circular mass behind the spidery fleet. It's a planet—it's Z'ha'dum, but as Casthmatic and Iris look again they see that the planet is covered in gas—volcanic gas. It is then clear that the planet is X'ha'dum. The Liberators have pulled the planet out of Sigma 1257KX19. AS the space foils more spidery vessels come out of Shadowspace and the Eye comes out. As the Eye begins to pull the Metamorphic in, the Metamorphic jumps back into hyperspace. As the film shuts off Delenn 3rd stands stunned. "We are going to need many ships!"

Mr. Morden steps forward. "That's where I can step in, most of the Vorlon's don't agree with the Liberators rule, also the they will act at your command, they await he in hyperspace unnoticed waiting for your command."

Delenn 3rd smiles, "Thank you Mr. Morden."

Mr. Morden smiles freakishly. "Your welcome Delenn 3rd, what should we do?"

Delenn 3 looks at the monitors. "We need to get the ship back on line." Delenn 3 looks at the injured crew. "Okay we will assign jobs, Deltalenn I need you in the Med Bay, and so I propose you as Med Bay officer. Jake, since the leaving of the Armada I need a weapons officer, which will be you. Iris, your possibly the best navigator I've seen, you will be our navigation officer. Casthmatic, you are our best cook, so you will be our chief! Delteine, I need you in the security room. And Mr. Morden you had a past as a engineer, so you will work as our engineer. I am your captain—I have been placed here due to Nanette's last wishes—Nanette does not want us to seek revenge, instead lets mend our problems then attack when we are ready!"

Mr. Morden interrupts. "I can concur these actions that Delenn 3rd puts forth."

Delenn 3rd looks at Mr. Morden, "Thank you Mr. Morden, let get going. We'll go to Minbar to repair our vessel."

Mr. Morden shakes his head. "No Delenn 3rd we need to go to the outer rim I have some further contacts we need to investigate into."

Delenn 3rd is becoming irritated with Mr. Morden trying to take control. "Who?"

Mr. Morden looks at Delenn 3, "Oh just a few friends from the past."

Delenn 3rd does not bend. "Who Mr. Morden?"

Mr. Morden looks to the side and smirks. "The entire Vorlon and past Shadow fleet—they are here like me too, to repay the sin we committed on Z'ha'dum in 2261, the ancient fleets can't rest until the Liberators fall."

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris in confusion. "You mean the Shadow's are back?"

Mr. Morden nods, "Yes the 2261 Shadow's of Z'ha'dum, they can't go beyond the rim till they fulfill their responsibility to purifying themselves."

Delenn 3rd is confused by this logic. "Okay—then Iris set course for the outer rim in sector?"

Mr. Morden interrupts. "Sector 14."

Delenn 3rd, who has heard of this space is shocked by Mr. Morden's proposal, Iris, and Deltalenn and scared of that place...so weird things happen there. As Delenn 3rd looks at the crew she then looks at Mr. Morden. "Sector 14, that's where we were caught in the time rift, why there?"

Mr. Morden's smirk melts away like snow in summer and is flooded by a serious complexion. "It's the only place in time where space is linked between past-present-and future."

Delenn 3rd thinks to herself. "Okay, Sector 14, we should be there in two hours."

As two hours past they jump to see a fleet

Delenn 3 looks at the fleet. "This is the fleet?"

Mr. Morden looks at Delenn 3rd. "Yes they are loyal to only destroy the Liberators—if we want to see our love ones again. Oh and one more thing—may we speak in private?"

Delenn 3rd is uncertain, and Iris looks at Delenn 3rd. "You sure."

Delenn 3rd gets up and walks into a room and closes the door. "So what is so important to talk to me in private?"

Mr. Morden looks at the door. "You know there is only going to be one way to defeat the Liberators—the Liberators thrive on chaos and death, but they can't touch anything that is living and breathes the breath of life, this would be the joined Children of Valen, Children of Light, Child of Time, and Prosperity of Light. Of this moment you have Deltalenn and Casthmatic who make up of the Children of Valen, you make up the Children of Light, but you are missing one child of Valen, two Children of Light, the Child of Time, and Prosperity of Light."

Delenn 3rd looks at Mr. Morden wondering where he is going with this conversation. "So what does this have to do with me Mr. Morden?"

Mr. Morden looks at the Human form of Delenn 3rd. "If you are going against the Liberators you have to have all, when this happens the Liberators can't hurt you and other life."

Delenn 3 look confused and impatient. "So who are the others?"

Mr. Morden ponders for a second. "The Child of Valen you are missing is your mother Delenn, but she is with the Vorlon vessels she will soon be coming over with the second Child of Light, her son David Sheridan, but the other three are going to be children from this crew."

Delenn 3rd looks shock. "What!"

Mr. Morden stress himself, this is going to be difficult to talk about. "When you were on Earth they implanted certain people with embryos made up of either the host's DNA or two DNA's, I am telling you because by your 16th birthday you will give creation, this is why you have to mend your wounds as Nanette said, because she is the third Child of Light. She knew she was going to die so she tried to warn you because you are her host. When you were called Deylnn, enough DNA was collected by the Vorlon's so your genetics and Nanette's genetics were fused with you're create a hybrid of half Human, half Minbari."

Delenn 3 looks at herself, "I am carrying Nanette?"

Mr. Morden shakes his head. You've been mistaken, you are not Delenn 3rd, for you are carrying Delenn 3rd, you are Delenn 2nd and the child you are carrying is Delenn 3rd, so to answer your question, you are carrying Delenn 3rd."

Delenn 2nd, not use to thinking of her name being that is confused, but worries about the others. "The other two know they're pregnant."

Mr. Morden is caught off guard. "Who?" Mr. Morden thinks, "Well Deltalenn genetics were fused by Iris's DNA to create a child Deltalenn calls Deliris, a Human, Asmarminbari hybrid. The last child is going to be from Casthmatic, her genes were fused with Jakes DNA to create a Human, Asmaraqua hybrid called Ananette."

Delenn 2nd ponders on the DNA of the Asmaraqua. "But where does the Asmaraqua come from—Casthmatic and Jake are both Humans?"

Mr. Morden shakes his head gently. "Not exactly."

Delenn 2nd looks at Mr. Morden. "What do you mean?"

Mr. Morden looks at Delenn 2nd with compassion. "They are both Hybritical Respirtorians, there puberty don't begin till age 16 then things get really strange."

Delenn 2nd can't comprehend that they are not Human...they looks Human. "But I don't understand."

"Take the Minbari for example; when Minbari are born they have no crest bone till they're 16, when they hit that age there transformation begins to maturity. It's all in the times Delenn 2nd, that's why your still looking Human because you have not reached 'cresting'."

Delenn 2nd walks off to the side of the room and looks at the lightly colored glass figures. "This is hard to believe Mr. Morden!"

Mr. Morden turns around, and nods gently. "Yes I know it is hard to except, but it is the truth."

Delenn 2nd puts down the figurine. "So what do you want us to do Mr. Morden?"

Mr. Morden looks at Delenn 2nd. "I don't know—you're the captain—I would say go to the place where you and the others will be accepted."

Delenn 2nd thinks for a second and comes up with an idea. "Okay—well I'll call the crew—thank you for being truthful with me Mr. Morden." Morden just nods his head and they both exit the room.

Delenn 2nd goes to the com to tell the crew the news. "This is Delenn 2nd speaking may I have your attention please. Some of you know the future that is in front of you; we are going to Minbar to rest for about seventeen years so please go to your rooms and pack we should be at Minbar in nine hours." Delenn 2nd shuts off the com and talks to the fleet. "This is Delenn 2nd to Shadow and Vorlon fleet meets us near Minbari controlled space in seventeen year—we will then move."

Receives a message. "This is Delenn Sheridan to Delenn 2nd, is it all right if my son and I come aboard?"

Delenn 2nd looks at Mr. Morden, he was right! "Yes, you may—welcome home."

17 years latter, Yedor, Minbar

Delenn Sheridan walks in to see her 26 year old daughter Delenn 2nd, Delenn 2nd has changed into a hybrid of Minbari and Human as Morden said would have happened, also ten years ago she gave life to Delenn 3rd, the child is a energetic female looking mostly Human because Delenn 3rd has not reached her cresting age yet. But the shocking thing about Delenn 3rd is she still has some memories of her past life. Deltalenn also had her child about ten years ago and named her Deliris. Deltalenn and her husband Iris also went through some changes themselves, they are now called Hybritical Respirtorians which are a new species with characteristics of Minbari crest bone, arm structure, and no sweat glands. The Hybritical Respirtorians has Human hair and the emotions which most species lack. The last things they have are scales on the neck, which protects the gill structure. Deltalenn is different then her husband, she is a Minbari hybrid thus is because she is a Child of Valen. The other child was given life from Casthmatic who is now married to Jake; her name is Ananette, which is also a Hybritical Respirtorians like her parents. As Delenn touches Delenn 2nd's shoulder she smiles and then in a stern voice tells her that it is time to call the fleet, it's time to fight the Liberators. Delenn 2nd nods her head knowing it is time to face prophesy. As the families and crew board the vessel Docetist they head to Sigma 1257 to end all things. As Delenn 2nd walks in front of Delenn 3rd she takes off the captains staff and gives it to the 10 year old. Delenn 3rd smiles to Delenn 2nd and takes the seat where she once ruled over.

As Delenn 3rd takes her seat upon the captains chair she presses the com. "This is Delenn 3rd speaking…it is great to be back as captain. I know many of you been through changes and are uncertain about your qualification. I look forward to long service and proud to be your captain again—I won't lie—this is a suicidal mission one we will probably lose, but we are creating history one step at a time! May Valen and God be with us!

The fleet enters hyperspace


	12. Shadowing

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Shadowing**

As the space opens up the space is flooded with Liberators Planet Killers as the fleets open fire it is bright with fire. As Liberator vessels are attacked the total battle is turning bad for the alliance fleet.

As Delenn 2nd considers she calls in the Shadow's and Vorlon's. As the space foils in front of the Alliance Fleet the Liberators are being stopped, as the Shadow's bring out their Shadow Planet Killers the two replica planet killers go at it locking and beginning firing missiles as the Shadow Planet Killer and Liberator Planet killer begin to expand, it would seem that the care takers are playing on a bigger field. When Delenn sees this she calls in the Vorlon Planet Killers, when they jump it seems the whole fleet has stopped moving, the planet killers have turned off all vessels, this was the same thing they did in 2261.

When Morden gets the message that the Shadow Planet Killer has been electronically taken over he asks what are they going to do, the Shadow's repeat one word "Revelations" Revelations . When Mr. Morden thinks to himself it dawns to him what the Shadow's are about to do. Activate their self-destruction mechanism. As missiles begin to launch all around the shock affects the Liberators Planet Killers and the Liberators begin firing at the rouge missiles. Because of the amount of missiles around the fleet, the Liberators unlock their electrified and activate their defense grid. With the electrified down the fleet jumps into hyperspace or foils out of space into Shadowspace and reenter back into Sigma 1257, as the giant cloud flashes like a angry lightning storm heading towards X'ha'dum as the cloud surrounds X'ha'dum the explosions light up the blood red sky to a deep blue nova and the planet explodes through the Shadow and Liberator cloud, as chunks as big as Shadow War vessels hurdles towards the four fleets. The Shadow's, Liberators, Vorlon's, and Alliance fleet runs for their lives. When the explosion destroyed some ships the war was over. There were only about 30 Liberator vessels left compared to the thousand of Shadow vessels.

As the Liberator ships explode in front of the crew the sight is puzzling. Why would they kill themselves—the answer is simple it's a better death then the one the alliance would do to them. As the sun rises over the gasses of X'ha'dum, Delenn and Mr. Morden look at Delenn 3rd, Iris, Jake, and Delenn 2nd, they smile at the victory of war. As the Vorlon and Shadow vessels begin to fade away in the sunlight, Delenn and Mr. Morden, and David fade away with the fleet to be evident that the war is over. As the alliance fleet turns around to go back to Minbar Draal appears in front of the screen in Delenn 3rd's ship. As the vessels stop, Draal tells the other vessels to go to Minbar. As Draal looks at the crew he smiles and laughs. "Well, well, well—you've done it—congratulations!"

"Thank you Draal."

Delenn 3rd is sad sounding. "What's wrong Delenn 3rd?"

Delenn 3rd looks up at the Minbari of the Great Machine, "I never got to see my two children on Earth grow up!"

Draal looks lost in words. "I know all you lost more then gained and I grieve for all you—I am truly sorry, but what if I could let you all go back to 3261?"

Delenn 3rd is not certain her children would even notice her, she not longer looks the same, she is no longer the shadow of Nanette, but now the reincarnation in flesh of a great prophet of Delenn. "I am not sure, what's the price?"

Draal looks at Delenn 3rd and smiles, he likes her, never missing a single detail...a true thinker! "You never even will be noticed because the flesh won't alter—it has no need to."

That is what Delenn 3rd feared would be the case. "So the price is to remain in these forms?"

Draal nods, "Yes—that's the cost I am afraid."

Delenn 3rd looks at the celebrating crew, celebrating their major victory. "Let me ask the crew." Delenn 3rd goes to the com. "This is Delenn 3rd your captain, I need your attention—if you want to go home to 3261 you need to know that you will never be in your old form—that's the cost—if anyone says no call in now!" Silence. "Well then may Valen be with you and Godspeed." Delenn 3rd looks at Draal. "Take us into the fire Draal!"

"As you wish." Draal disappears and the space erupts in thunder and flashes of light as the Docetist plummets into a white hole there is a bright flash and the crew are put asleep.

As Delenn 3rd wakes she looks around and she notices she is not on the Docetist, it is the Invincible, as she looks she see her whole crew on the bridge of the Invincible, but it's only Deltalenn, Casthmatic, Delenn 2nd, Deliris, and Ananette—the whole Minbari prophesy! As she looks at the ship she notices it is not the Docetist, it is the Invincible for real she is on her old ship that she lost on Minbar in 2261, but as she is confused and is walking about a voice calls to her—it's Kosh Nanarke followed by Ulkesh Kosh. As Delenn 3rd stands there in confusion a message comes in and it say this in Shadow text:

"**open your screen Captain Nanette Delenn**"

Delenn 3rd is shocked to read such text, and then thinks about the name: Nanette Delenn, she likes it. As she opens the screen the view is shocking she sees the Altavice, the Dolshire, the Furrore, the CX Valdi, the Metamorphic, and the Armada as the screen appears with people she sees her old crew and the Captain that died in space, Spurr, Mira, Gram, Casthmatic, Arimira, Hindrick, and Incevi. As Nanette Delenn flips out, she is stunned. "You're all alive!"

Incevi smiles and points at Nanette Delenn. "Like you are Nanette, we never died we were part of a prophecy to push the Children of Valen, the Children of Light, Child of Time, and Prosperity of Light to defeat the Liberators."

Hindrick interrupts Incevi, "The real choice came when Draal came to you and the crew, if you'd went to Minbar we would have all been officially dead, but if you came back to the past we would all be given a second chance to life."

Nanette Delenn thinks to herself. The Captain of the Invincible who died in the vacuum of space looks at Nanette Delenn. "And that is why we are here—because of you. So thank you Nanette Delenn!"

Nanette Delenn is stunned and tries to find her words. "Well I suppose you're welcome—where do we go now?"

Incevi looks at Nanette Delenn. "Home, you have two children who have also made a transition waiting for you."

Nanette Delenn remembers her children, but also her other children, Iris, Spurr, and Delenn 2nd, how was her child, but now she is her child. "Yes my son and daughter!" Nanette Delenn looks at the crew of the Invincible Project. "And what about you?"

Hindrick looks at the crew of the Invincible Project. "Our job is complete we can restart our lives with new goals."

Nanette Delenn nods and smiles. "Then I bid you safe travel" Looking at the crew on the Invincible that are just waking. "We have been waiting along time for this."

Incevi looks at the crew of the prophecy of Minbari, race of light. "Thank you for your help to end the Reign of Shadow's and Chaos."

Copyright: 2003/2004

Reprinted: May 2006

By: David Joseph Bruer

Babylon 5, characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros, and creator of Babylon 5 J. Michael Straczynski


End file.
